Abstract:
The Covid-19 pandemic has directly affected the configuration of unpaid care work that women are routinely called upon to exercise. We investigated changes in how women mothers exercised this care and the effects of these changes on them, using an online questionnaire (N = 5.643). Respondents were mainly middle and higher class, white, with high educational levels. Even for this privileged segment, the pandemic was found to exacerbate gender inequalities in domestic and family care. The women were overworked and tired; alone at the crossroads between professional work and multiple care work; caring a lot and being little cared for; constantly available to others and very little to themselves; and reported feelings of guilt and inadequacy related to the care of and relationship with their children.
Keywords:
Maternity; Care, Gender; Covid-19 pandemic