Are We Talking Enough About The Impact Of The Pandemic On Working Women?

It is not unknown that the two-year long global pandemic has transformed, challenged and awakened us. To speak of its impact in the least, it has altered our lives, our livelihoods, and society at large. Most of which, we are still struggling to comprehend. However, our unbattled strength has been proven numerous times. We’re not just fighting the pandemic head-on, but also constantly innovating to adjust to it.

The periodic lockdowns have been particularly catastrophic for the working class. From facing a blur between work hours and personal downtime, to adjusting to the new normal, the bread earners of every household have faced many struggles. However, as pointed out in a study by Deloitte, the impact on working women has been specifically life-changing. “For many working women, the pandemic is upending their work/life balance and affecting their physical and mental health, and some are even questioning their current and long-term career prospects,” Deloitte reports.

Through this article, we aim to shed light on lockdown experiences of women from different spheres of life: single mothers juggling their 9-5s, domestic working women, those at senior positions in corporate jobs, as well as younger women entering the workforce. Some of these stories have been included from narratives in our upcoming book based on the global pandemic. These stories are those of: Chinu Vaze, the renowned digital creator and celebrity chef, a flight attendant, a journalist, and a doctor. The book dives deep into the physical, mental as well as psychological impact their respective work had during the pandemic.

Pandemic And Working Women

A professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan said, “We could have an entire generation of women who are hurt,” especially pregnant women and working mothers with very young children faced a lot of difficulties in managing their time. “Own time” on a normal day itself is a luxury for working mothers, however, expecting that during a pandemic was rather a distant dream.

The phrase “working women'' encapsulates a spectrum. Drawing attention to domestic working women, they are the sole breadwinners of their family with more than one child to support. For women in rural India, this provides an important source of livelihood, mostly due to lack of educational qualifications. According to official data, the number of people employed in domestic chores in India are 4.75 million, (of which 3 million are women). For all of them, “working from home” was not an option.

“Own time” on a normal day itself is a luxury for working mothers, however, expecting that during a pandemic was rather a distant dream.

Similarly, the impact on corporate working women was different and came with its own set of challenges. For example, Surbhi Sharma, a journalist in India TV was required to report from the ground even when the virus was at its peak. With a 7-year-old son, an aged mother in law and a husband who was also required to stay outdoors for his profession, Surbhi was torn between her work and family. In her words, “In all of this, what I found the hardest was answering my son’s innocent questions. Both his parents were media professionals, which needed them to be on the field most of the time, while his friends’ parents were almost always home due to the lockdown.”

Shilarna (Chinu) Vaze, a celebrity chef and a social media influencer, is a mother to a 3-and-a-half-year-old girl. Research suggests that one of the most crucial time periods in child development and learning is the first five years. With schools turned virtual, Chinu not only had to home school her daughter extensively but had to also go the extra mile to ensure that she wasn’t losing out on her daughter’s primal growth years. All of this, in addition to running her catering business and staying active as a digital content creator.

In a study conducted by Deloitte, “70% of women who have experienced disruptions in their work life are concerned that their career growth might be limited as a result.” This lack of efficiency and inability to deliver excellence at the workplace can be attributed to the increase in household chores and the distress of working-from-home.

In addition to those working in corporate jobs and creative fields, the stories of those fighting on the frontlines attribute a different meaning to the word “struggle.” Two such heroic women are Greeshma Anoop, a Covid-19 doctor and a flight attendant of the Vande Bharat Mission who put their duty to the nation before themselves and their families. In their words (paraphrased), their life-on-duty looked like this:

“The morning of my first reporting for the Vande Bharat flight, I could feel all the same emotions running through my body. In this case, the risk was of getting infected, the uncertainty was about what’s coming next, and the pride was about being part of doing something for the nation. I bid farewell to one family and made my way to the other one – the one waiting for me on the runway.”

Divita Aggarwal and Surabhi Sundaram

Flight Attendant, Vande Bharat Mission

“I vividly recall the way a patient looks at me, the emptiness in their gaze, albeit with a flicker of hope that maybe, somehow, they will be saved.”

Greeshma Anoop, Covid-19 Doctor

Due to the uncertainty prevailing in the job market, many young women graduating out of universities are more fearful and disappointed rather than being motivated and passionate. The indefinite work from home is casting a hue on their future and putting it on pause. At large, even seen globally, wage inequality and the burden of unpaid care has pushed more women out of employment and into poverty. As per the United Nations, women’s earned income in India was just one-fifth that of men’s even before the pandemic. Compared to men, more women have lost jobs during COVID-19.

Suggested Reading:

Are You A Sleep Deprived New Mom? This Book Talks About Baby Sleep

While there have been numerous conversations surrounding the burden on the working class during lockdown periods, the struggles faced by women in the workforce have gone comparatively unnoticed. However, these stories of bravery and innovation are simply a drop in the ocean. As the third wave comes knocking, these hundreds of women across professions and age, continue to battle the daily. And, despite it all, are still making ends meet.

The authors of this piece have co-authored a non-fiction book (to be published later this year) on the unprecedented global pandemic which comprises 20 authentic and diverse narratives of individuals living through this monumental time in history. The views expressed are the author's own.

You can also join SheThePeople's Book club on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.