Challenges Faced by Palestinian Women in Electrical, Electronic and Computer Technology and Engineering during COVID-19 Crisis

Abstract

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the occupied Palestinian territories underpins the adverse effect on public health due to shortages in health-care equipment to contain the spreading. The vulnerable communities amongst women, elderly and children are mostly impacted. Palestinian women endure additional burdens associated with paid and unpaid work, often without consideration or the alleviation of other life responsibilities. With the fact that electrical, electronic and computer technology and engineering is a fast growing, vibrant and promising sector in Palestine, this paper hence assesses the challenges faced by the Palestinian women in this sector during COVID-19 crisis since they also play important roles in upbringing the sector. Via literature review, questionnaire survey on 141 respondents and data analysis via IBM Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) V27, it is found that the top 3 most critical challenges faced by the Palestinian women in electrical, electronic and computer technology and engineering are stresses, followed by limited freedom of movement, anxiety about the future and struggling to stay motivated. The findings of this paper reveal the reality behind gender inequality amongst the Palestinian women in electrical, electronic and computer technology and engineering during the COVID-19 pandemic, who instead should be empowered since women involvement in the economy has proven to cause a multiplier effect across all other development areas.