Gender Equality Starts at Home Happy Hour
Channel: New America
Date: 29/10/2020

Prior to the pandemic, women were bearing more of the load at home. On an average day, women spent 37% more time on housework and childcare than men and were carrying more of the ‘mental load’ to keep their households running. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the work at home has only become more stressful, with schedules upended, homes becoming makeshift offices, classrooms going remote or hybrid, and child care centers closed.

Families are feeling the stress. Mothers working from home in April and May reported feeling anxious, depressed, and lonely at significantly higher rates than fathers working from home. Perhaps even more disturbing, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that four times as many women as men are leaving the workforce. And a new working paper reveals that women who are shouldering the bulk of homeschooling responsibilities are between six and 12 times more likely to drop out of the workforce entirely.

But there are reasons for hope. For decades prior to the pandemic, the gender gap in housework and childcare had been narrowing. More men than ever before support gender equality in the home and want to spend more time with their children. And some early research shows that men being more involved in caregiving during the crisis, and changing expectations at work, could have long-lasting impact. It is more critical than ever for families to fairly share the load at home. Join us for a lively discussion on how families have actually transformed their lives and shared the load more fairly, and the policy and cultural barriers standing in their way in these difficult times.

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