The Unpaid Care Burden Heightened Due to the Pandemic

Graphic by Sorbetto via Getty Images.

BY: CAROLINE PITMAN, SUMMER 2020 COLLABORATOR AT POWER IN PLACE

Times of crisis often amplify existing inequalities within society. From the disproportionate amount of black Americans dying from COVID-19 to the daily inequalities faced by women, COVID-19 is not a crisis that affects all equally. While the hope of a vaccine is on the horizon, the pandemic shows no sign of stopping within the United States and, a vaccine, while essential, will not solve rampant gender inequality. 

Unfortunately, the devastating economic and societal consequences of COVID-19 are more likely to affect women. For women, the unpaid care burden is simply a part of life. Even during a pandemic, women are more likely to shoulder the majority of unpaid work. This essential work, from childcare to household tasks, is undervalued and prevalent throughout the globe. With the mass closing of childcare facilities and schools, women with children are at a particular disadvantage.  In a recent New York Times pole, "Seventy percent of women say they’re fully or mostly responsible for housework during lockdown, and 66 percent say so for child care." One exacerbated role  brought on by the pandemic is the role of teacher. Long term closures have moved classrooms online, and parents, who are more likely to be women, assume the role of teacher in addition to their usual responsibilities. [1]

According to the United Nations, women do three times the amount of unpaid housework compared to men. [2] The pandemic has increased the amount of unpaid work, including increased cleaning. From longer waits at the grocery store (a task more likely to be done by women) to food shortages, the daily tasks, primarily done by women, are taking longer. 

The problem of the unpaid care burden and the devaluation of this burden goes across cultures and countries. Despite advancement in women’s rights, this burden both hinders economic growth and gender equality on a larger scale. With women assuming the majority of the unpaid care burden at home, this leaves less time for formal employment. 

Women are more likely to be underpaid and more likely to work in the informal economy. Jobs, such as hotel cleaners or child care professionals, are often paid under the table or income is not reported correctly. In times of pandemic and mass unemployment, this lack of formal work is a detriment to women who try to access government assistance. The lack of regularity in employment poses a serious problem for women, as they on average, have less money saved than men. [3]

In terms of formal employment, women are more likely to work in the health sector according to The World Health Organization. Globally, women make up 70% of the health sector. [4]

This creates a situation where a women’s care burden is heightened as a result of the pandemic. Both at home and at work, the demands are greater. This translates to often longer hours at one’s place of formal employment and a heightened burden at home. 

In the United States, the pandemic is not over and is still spreading throughout the globe. The promise of a vaccine will hopefully diminish the effect of the deadly disease; however, until then, women will continue to be at a disadvantage. Despite the urgency of the pandemic, women’s rights and the fight for equality must remain at the forefront of public policy decisions. In an unequal world, we must account for these inequalities, particularly in times of crisis. 

References

[1] Cain Miller, Claire. “Nearly Half of Men Say They Do Most of the Home Schooling. 3 Percent of Women Agree.” The New York Times, 6 May, 2020.https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/06/upshot/pandemic-chores-homeschooling-gender.html

[2] Nesbit-Ahmed, Zahrah and Subrahmanian, Ramya. “Caring in the time of COVID-19: Gender, unpaid care work and social protection.” UNICEF, 23 April, 2020. https://blogs.unicef.org/evidence-for-action/caring-in-the-time-of-covid-19-gender-unpaid-care-work-and-social-protection/ 

[3] Adamczyk, Alicia. “Women lag behind men in retirement savings—here are 3 things they can do to catch up.” CNBC, 18 November 2019. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/18/women-are-still-lagging-behind-men-when-it-comes-to-saving.html

[4] Boniol et al. “Gender equity in the health workforce: Analysis of 104 countries.” World Health Organization, March 2019. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/311314/WHO-HIS-HWF-Gender-WP1-2019.1-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Caroline Pitman is a student at Catholic University in Washington, D.C, where she studies Politics, History, and Theology. She is passionate about increasing the number of women in elected offices and in government positions and plans to pursue a career in law. In her free time, she loves to read historical non-fiction books, spend time with her yellow lab, and explore Washington, D.C.

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Messages from IGNITE’s Young Women Vote Summit

BY: Bella Levavi, SUMMER 2020 COLLABORATOR AT POWER IN PLACE

On Monday, June 22, the organization IGNITE  put together a three-hour summit to get the nonpartisan message out that the younger generation, if they take it,  has the power to shift the electorate by mobilizing and voting in mass numbers. They made their point through panels, speakers, Q and A sessions,  infographics, and social media campaigns that Generation Z has the numbers to make a difference. 

IGNITE  is an organization focused on creating a generation of politically active women who have on the ground experience of political organizing to eventually be ready to run for office in the future. Its goal is to take the male domination out of politics and to give women the confidence to chase public office. The organization creates programming for women as young as kindergarten up until college age. This year IGNITE  organized mobilization campaigns for the 2020 election, and made this summit in tandem with that program. 

The summit started with Indiana’s Republican Congresswoman Susan Brooks giving a keynote address. Brooks stressed the importance of voting as well as registering to vote. She said that many campaigns focus on registering voters, which is important but taking the step to go to polls on voting day is crucial. Brooks suggested that young people should get to know their representatives, especially on a local level, and let them know about the issues they care about. 

There was then a brief interlude where IGNITE  fellows asked the audience to call our representatives to speak our opinions about the bill S.1540, the Election Security Act of 2019. This act would work to correct complications in the 2016 election to ensure a more free and fair election in the future.

Next was a panel filled with BIPOC women who spoke about their experience running for local office. Christina Haswood, a Candidate for Kansas House District 10, told stories about how she was often the only indigenous person and only women at political meetings. She grew up in Section eight housing and relied on other social services and felt that gave her qualification to make decisions about such services, despite her young age of 26. Mya Whitaker, a Former Oakland City Council member, spoke about the importance of knowing your audience when running for office. She said that you have to explain your stances simply to be accessible to all.  Karla Garcia, Dallas ISD District 4 Trustee, spoke about talking to people about the issues they care about. In her campaign, she would ask people what they wanted to see changed and would tell them about how their desires worked into her platform. These three women shaped an inspiring narrative of what you need to gain the confidence to run for office and how anyone can run a winning campaign. 

Congresswoman Lauren Underwood, of my home state Illinois,  then gave a Q and A. She spoke about how people think November is just a presidential race, but she stressed that everything is on the ballot for this election. Not only will this ballot contain elections for many different seats according to where you live, but this election will dictate the outcomes for issues you care about most. She said that while names will be on the ballot, climate change, gun violence, and police brutality are all on the ballot as well. She said to get to know the issues you care about and speak to the people running now to get them to enact these policies 

Next was a workshop explaining how to run Instagram and Facebook campaigns for people running for office effectively. This workshop gave instructions that can be applied directly to real work in the field. The workshop gave tips on how to set up social media accounts and how many posts a day to get the most clicks and views.

Valerie Jarret then gave a talk on how the civil rights movement was a long and slow process. She emphasized the excitement of the Black Lives Matter movement right now, but explained people need to vote and organize for a long time for there to be structural change. 

The summit closed with actress Francesca Reale and founder of Space to Speak Maya Siegel, both under 25, speaking about the power they have in their social media to educate young people. They both have social media platforms that they use to get other young people passionate about social change. 

The summit was a good mix of tangible information filled actions young individuals can perform and information about larger ideas that involve getting out the vote and what women have to go through to be in elected office. The summit gave me additional perspectives of what all the women on the Power in Place website have to go through to be in the positions they are in today. My biggest takeaway is that running a campaign and getting out the vote is no easy task and takes a lot of time and effort, but a change in politics, even at the local level, is a change worth fighting for.

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Bella Levavi is a rising junior at Smith College majoring in Government and English. She is involved in Smith's newspaper the Sophian and the college radio station. She is passionate about vegetarian co-ops, writing, and social justice

Strong Women and Disability Rights Advocacy

One of the most important aspects of our work is to illustrate how women in positions of political office can directly influence the next generation of female leaders. This positive role-modeling effect is demonstrated through our PiP Youth nominees program—young women chosen by politicians who are exemplars of unfolding potential. These young people are remarkable for their drive, talent, passion, intelligence, and conscience. Below is an excellent example.

Senator Gelser's nominee, Rachel, is inspired to activism by her mentor's staunch civic-mindedness and community involvement. Together, they are making an impact in Oregon. Their story shows how women, separated by age, ethnic background, and life experiences, can work side by side for a better world. Social values are not born in a vacuum. These values are taught and demonstrated by those we look up to and love. This continuum is what Power in Place will continue to support and promote in the future.

Oregon State Senator Sara Gelser with her son
at the abandoned Fairview Training Center in Salem, OR.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS...

Rachel Simpson, age 23, at her home in Independence, OR. Nominated by Senator Sara Gelser.

“Just as women should not be left to count on men to advocate their interests, women with disabilities must be supported to speak for themselves. ”

Fairview was Oregon’s last large institution for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. For nearly a century, people with disabilities were sent there to languish, separated from their families and society. When my son was born with a disability in 1994, it was in the midst of the struggle to close the institution and support people to live in the community. The stories from Fairview significantly impacted me as a young mother and inspired me to advocacy and politics.

The full inclusion and equality of people with disabilities must extend to political life. That’s why I’m so inspired by young leaders like Rachel, my PiP youth nominee. Rachel is a powerful advocate in our state legislature, and regularly challenges the misguided assumptions and low expectations society still holds about people living with disabilities. Rachel is an outspoken advocate for true equality and full inclusion. By sharing her own story, she makes it clear that all people must have the authority to decide who they love, where and how they live, what kind of education to pursue, and what type of work and financial goals to pursue.

As we encourage more women to claim their seats at the leadership table, it’s essential that we build a community that reflects the true diversity of our communities. Just as women should not be left to count on men to advocate their interests, women with disabilities must be supported to speak for themselves. Rachel exemplifies this, and I’m so eager to see where her life and political work take her.

-Senator Sara Gelser

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“I became an activist because I was tired of struggling and watching other people struggle.”

I have cerebral palsy and I met Senator Gelser through my advocacy work and job with Oregon State's Developmental Disabilities Services Program.

I became an activist because I was tired of struggling and watching other people struggle. It wasn’t fair anymore, so I decided to be a voice for them and myself. Before I came along, I don’t think people listened to other people with special needs very well. They started to listen to me because of my job with the State of Oregon. I’m coming out of that generation gap where people with disabilities are starting to work and empower themselves.

Yes, I have testified in front of the state Senate and I helped save the Fairview Housing Trust (that aids in maintaining community and at home housing opportunities for our developmental disabilities population).

-Rachel Simpson