Eswyn Gray ‘23
The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has affected everyone in some way, whether that be the loss of a job, a loved one, or just the inability to go to a favorite restaurant. While acknowledging this, studies show that women are bearing the brunt and shouldering much of the economic consequences of the lockdown. This evidence demonstrates the systemic gender inequality the nation is grappling with. The data from a Women in the Workplace 2020 study reveals the challenges women encountered, as more demands were placed on work and home life. This was the sixth year the Women in the Workplace study has been conducted, and findings showed the challenges women faced this year to be increasingly difficult.
One of the ways in which women have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 is that “as many as 2 million women, particularly mothers with young children, had to consider leaving the workforce or stepping back from their careers” (Women in the Workplace 2020). Leaving the workforce for many women is a huge sacrifice, and seeing as how the same sacrifice isn’t as commonly expected from men, this points to how women bear more of the burdens and consequences from COVID-19. According to the study, “more than one in four women are contemplating what many would have considered unthinkable just six months ago; downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce completely” (Women in the Workplace 2020). One of the main drivers causing women to be negatively impacted by the pandemic is deeply rooted social norms, which place the burden primarily on women to be the main caretaker of the home, including childcare responsibilities. As many schools nationwide closed down to slow the spread of COVID-19 infections, children were moved to online school during the height of the pandemic, causing 23% of women with kids under 10 to leave the workforce altogether to take the role of the main caretaker. That rate is much higher compared to the 13% of men who left their jobs. These statistics point to the greater societal expectations for women to be at home with children as opposed to in the workforce.
The pandemic has amplified the challenges women continue to encounter. Before the lockdown, full-time working mothers spent their days at work, followed by additional hours of caring for their children, family, and home. Amidst the pandemic, various forms of child care such as school or afterschool activities were upended, leaving many working mothers having to make the tough choice between caring for their children or pursuing their careers.
Before the pandemic, the number of women in positions of power in the workplace was increasing in a positive direction. However, the events of 2020 have really changed the way an everyday workplace looks. Now, there are disproportionately more men in leadership positions, and women are significantly outnumbered in entry-level management roles.
Overall, there have been reports and studies which show that women have been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and a large part of that is due to systemic gender normalities that are imprinted into corporate America. These gender divides cause women to be pushed out of the workforce, giving up their jobs in order to make sacrifices for their families. However, the same isn’t true for most men. Due to harsh gender inequalities, men were more likely to be able to keep their jobs and means of income during the pandemic.
Right now, “America is at a crossroads. The choices companies make today will have consequences on gender equality for decades to come'' (Women in the Workplace 2020). What these studies have shown us is that the battle against gender equality in America is still a work in progress. In order to make strong, lasting change, however, it has become evident that corporate and systemic change is what needs to take place in order to move towards a more gender-equal society.
Comments