Analyzing the Impact of Covid-19 on the Mothers of Bangladesh: Hearing the Unheard

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this empirical study is to explore how Covid-19 pandemic has hit the mothers of our society, with particular emphasis on Bangladesh. The study also attempts to make their unheard voice reach both the national and international academic discourse which has so far been an unexcavated area. Subject and Methods: The study adopted qualitative and interpretative methods of social research which include content analysis; perception study of 223 respondents through semi structured questionnaire survey, who were selected using purposive random sampling. The data obtained from perception study was further complemented through phone in interviews. Results: The study has found that pandemic has not affected all the mothers uniformly, rather the intensity of its impact varied depending on factors like occupation of mothers and their husbands and their family pattern. Despite such variation, all the mothers experienced subsequent increase in workload, challenges while availing routine health facilities and higher level of stress, anxiety, depression, and certain behavioral changes. Conclusion: However, the worst affected have been the mothers belonging to the lower socio-economic strata because the pandemic has made them and their husbands’ jobless, leading them towards an uncertain future.

Agarwala and Ghumaan_Covid-19_Impact of Covid-19 on women in South Asia

“…In Bangladesh [53][54][55], a local organization on human rights in Bangladesh, called "Manusher Jonno…”