Women, Gender equality and COVID-19

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to review the existing literature on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender and work roles to determine whether the pandemic has undermined the status, pay and advancement of women or has provided opportunities for reducing gender inequality. Design/methodology/approach The author reviewed the literature on the effects of COVID-19 and past pandemics on gender equality, focusing on job loss, the effects of being in essential occupations on health and well-being, the increased domestic responsibilities of women and men due to closure of schools and other social services and the effects of telecommuting on gender roles. Findings The pandemic has generally created challenges for women’s advancement. More women than men have lost their jobs; more women than men are in essential jobs that expose them to infection and psychological stress, and women have had more work disruption than men have had because of increases in childcare and other responsibilities. On the other hand, telecommuting has increased men’s amount of childcare, and this does have the potential to increase men’s childcare responsibilities in the long term, thereby reducing the gender gap in domestic responsibilities and increasing gender equality. Research limitations/implications The COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing and the research on the pandemic’s effects are new and ongoing. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first scholarly review of the literature on the potential effects of COVID-19 on the gender gap in pay and advancement.

The gendered pandemic: The implications of COVID‐19 for work and family

“…Long‐standing occupational gender segregation and resulting labor market inequalities have created particular vulnerabilities for women during COVID‐19 (Carli, 2020). Occupational gender segregation is a defining feature of the U.S. labor market, whereby women and men occupy different, and often unequal, jobs (Levanon et al., 2009).…”

“…Given the unprecedented disruptions to both work and family life brought about by the pandemic, a large and rapidly growing body of social sciences research has emerged to better understand the impact of COVID‐19 on social inequalities (for earlier summaries, see Carli, 2020; Kantamneni, 2020). In this article, we synthesize key findings from this research to examine the gendered implications of the COVID‐19 pandemic for work and family in the United States.…”

Impact of Covid-19 in Global Health and Psychosocial Risks at Work

“…Women have lost more jobs, 15 there are more women than men in key jobs exposed to infections and with psychological stress; women have had more work problems and burdens than men due to increased childcare and domestic responsibilities, and on the other hand, teleworking has increased the amount of child and domestic care. 16 A study by Collins et al, 17 that included couples with children in which both spouses were teleworking concludes that women had to reduce their working hours more than men. Several studies highlight the likely impact of this sex inequality in the medium and long term.…”

Forecasts for the Future of Work That the Covid-19 Pandemic Anticipated and Its Main Repercussions

“…The inequality that they may face while work from home can decrease their productivity and quality of life. This theory is reinforced by the literature, that points that this scenario still real even the numbers of egalitarian houses had increased during the pandemic (Carli, 2020).…”