Gender equality in the workplace post-COVID-19

Abstract

Gender equality has suffered both during the recession and the recovery after it because of the COVID-19 epidemic and the economic crisis. In contrast to conventional recessions, the employment decline associated with social distancing measures significantly impacts sectors with high female employment shares, negatively influencing men's employment more than women's employment. Additionally, the need for child care had significantly increased due to school and daycare closures, negatively impacting working women. This paper seeks to understand how the current economic crisis due to the pandemic affected women and the potential long-term effects on gender equality. This study is a literature review study that follows a descriptive method. The study found that working mothers are projected to endure the effects of the crisis for a very long time because of the high returns to experience in the labor market. Keywords: COVID-19; Gender gap; gender inequality; workforce; workplace