Balancing Work and Early Childhood Education: Exploring the Double Burden Faced by Working Mothers During the Covid-19 Pandemic in Malaysia

Abstract

This research paper focuses on the concept of the double burden or second shift expereinced by women in the context of paid amd unpaid labor, with a particular emphasis on the role of mothers. Historically, women have shouidered various reponsibilities related to their children, ensuring their well-being and development. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequesnt government-imposed lockdown measures have added a new challenge for working women with pre-schoolers: facilitating their education at home. This task proves particularly demanding as pre-schoolers heavily rely on adult assisstance and e-learning platforms. Moreover, the bundaries between work and home have become increasingly blurred for mothers working from home, intensifyig expectations and blending various responsibilities within a single shift. To shed light on this issue, this article presents insights obtained from semi-structure interviews conducted with 20 working women in Malaysia who have pre-school-aged children. Specifically, the research explores the active involvement of women in supporting pre- schoolers’ online education, their perceptions of online educational methods employed by kindergartens, strategies for facilitating pre-schoolers’ learning experiences, and coping mechanisms employed by working mothers in handling the challenges of online education for pre-schoolers. Through this study, a comprehensiveunderstanding of the experiences and perspectives of working women with pre-schoolers in Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic is achieved. The findings contribute to the existing knowledge on the double burden faced by women, shedding light on the unique challenges arising from the increased responsibilities related to pre-schoolers’ online education. Ultimately, the research aims to uniform policymakers, educators, and employers about the specific needs and support required by working mothers to ensure a more equitable distribution of responsibilities and enhancework-life balance in times of crisis.