Effects of Covid Pandemic on Working Women

The Covid-19 pandemic has left a devastating effect on the society-taking away the lives of loved ones, rising hospitalization cases of young as well as aged people, rising unemployment etc. Nationwide lockdowns have crippled the livelihoods of people.

The female population at large, particularly the working women population has been hit hard by the pandemic. With childcare centers closing down and non-existent support systems due to the lockdowns, women have struggled to maintain the balance between personal life and work life amidst the work from home culture. Women have been glorified as doting mothers and care-providers but the Covid 19 Pandemic has left the working women population overtired and helpless in the nuclear family setup. The pressure of cooking, taking care of the children and the house alongside doing a full-time job has taken a toll on their health and emotional well-being. Many working women with little children have been forced to quit the workforce entirely to act as full-time care providers for their family. This is a very sad situation, and employers as well as family members should come forward at the earliest to tackle this situation. Women who are forced to leave the workforce due to unfavorable circumstances are prone to suffer from depression. Women quitting the workforce has a negative impact on the economic growth of the country as well. 

What can family members do to tackle the burnout of working women amidst the pandemic?

• A little support from family members goes a long way in boosting the morale of working women. The husband can share responsibilities of some household chores. This would help in reducing some workload. Children can also extend helping help to their mothers by taking up small tasks. These small gestures can help working women greatly.
• Words of affection from family and friends- Little words of love and affection from family and friends go a long way. Working women should be appreciated for the efforts they put in for maintaining their household. Their efforts should not be undermined and taken for granted.
• Encouraging to take small breaks- Working women should be encouraged by their family members to take small breaks between work. They should not forget to relax and have some “me-time” while trying to manage domestic chores and professional work.

What can employers do to tackle the burnout of working women amidst the pandemic?

• Offering flexible work options- Companies should offer options of flexible timings at work along with home from home options. Companies should also be open to providing part time jobs for interested women employees.
• Encouraging the concept of work-life balance- Employees are the assets of any company or workplace. They should be encouraged to maintain work-life balance and to take leaves as and when needed. Particularly in times of Covid, companies should provide employees provisions of involuntary absence from work. This can be used to recover from Covid, to take care of near and dear ones suffering from Covid or to mourn the loss of a loved one due to Covid. It should be remembered that a happy employee translates to a productive work environment. 
• Respecting the personal life of employees- In the current work from home scenario, employers should treat the personal lives of the employees with respect. No employee should be rebuked for taking leave for attending to the personal needs of family. As personal and professional lives overlap in today’s Covid afflicted times of remote work, no employee should be made to feel embarrassed if a crying baby is heard during work meetings.

All these measures-taken both from the side of the working women’s family as well as her employer can make a huge difference in her life. On a collective scale, this can help to sustain the female workforce and can prove to be a great stride towards women empowerment.

Nasrin Zaman is a software engineer by profession. She likes travelling to various places and enjoying the beauty of Mother Nature. She also loves photography and reading various kinds of books in her leisure time. Connect with her on Facebook or Instagram.

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