Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the inequities in global society, particularly those regarding gender. Feminist scholars have studied women’s roles in development and international political economy since the 1960s, revealing the extent to which nations, international institutions, and the global economy are gendered. The pandemic and our responses to it, both national and international, have reinforced this gendered assignment of women’s roles. Historically, women are pushed into caregiving roles, such as childcare, elder care, care of the sick, and household management. The feminization of these roles carries with it economic devaluation and denigration as “women’s work.” Although such work is essential to the functioning of society, it is unpaid or poorly paid. In many households, a full-time caregiver is needed and the adult (male) earning more money must remain in the paid workforce while the adult (female) earning less is assigned the caregiving role. In the US, women’s employment outside the home has dropped to levels not seen in three decades. In situations where a caregiver is needed at home, women and girls are the ones chosen to withdraw from society because they are, on average, paid less than men and are thus, economically expendable. Because it highlights these inequities in society, the pandemic also provides an opportunity to re-examine gendered norms and restructure government policies to address not only inequity but need.
Presenters
Margaret Gonzalez-PerezProfessor, Political Science, Southeastern Louisiana University, Louisiana, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Vectors of Society and Culture
KEYWORDS
Gender, Women, Feminism, Economy, Pandemic
