Emerging evidence suggests that women have been disproportionately affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic than men. Although we inhabit a Western society that has felt the impact of multiple waves of feminism, there is no denying the fact that the idealised woman is still expected to perform the majority of household labour, as well as to excel in her professional life outside of the home.
There is no compensation provided for the additional labour that women are expected to undertake, it is simply an integral aspect of existing as a woman under a capitalist system; the consumerist family cannot function without a homemaker, making it difficult to truly liberate women from the home.
Government imposed lockdowns and quarantines have made the stress of existing as a woman, in a world that exclusively caters to the needs of men, all the more obvious. Globally, the number of women reaching out to domestic abuse helplines has seen an increase since the onset of the pandemic, and women are also reporting that their mental health has been more adversely affected than the men since the imposition of lockdowns.
Women with young children were also forced to undertake a larger burden of domestic labour as a result of school closures, forcing them to reorganise their whole life. The coronavirus pandemic has made the societal role of women more pronounced — in spite of our supposed equality, men remain largely exempt from the domestic and emotional duties that women are forced to undertake.
Written by Alex Mulhare
Artwork by Isabel Johns
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