Abstract
The COVID-19 crisis has taken the world by surprise, and its effects are widening pre-existing inequalities such as socioeconomical, educational, and digital divides. The gender gap is no exception, and research shows that lockdowns are strongly impacting women, who, on the whole, are more vulnerable to the effects of a crisis. This study analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown in Spain on families, from a gender perspective. To this end, 663 participants related to the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields were recruited to participate in the research through their connection with the Equality Office of the major technical university of Spain, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, which offers most engineering and architecture degrees. The results indicate that the great myths of gender inequality are still alive in Spain, and that a crisis of this nature can perpetuate them. However, the crisis also presents an opportunity for change. Will the STEM careers be prepared to take advantage of this opportunity, or will this crisis end up perpetuating their markedly masculine character? Are we ready for a revolution? The COVID-19 crisis and its learnings about the importance of care can open the path to change.
Highlights
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted global society
The focus is on how the crisis has affected, and will affect, the position and future opportunities of women in Spanish society in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields
The questionnaire was originally designed for a female audience working in STEM disciplines, but after receiving the feedback, it was made available to both men and women, and we even asked that it be completed by both members of a couple, in order to reveal any differences in point of view between the sexes
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted global society. It has reached all countries, but, like all crises, it does not affect everyone . There are countries with infrastructures that are better prepared to deal with emergencies of this type. As seen in other crises, the pandemic has not affected men and women [1,2]. The focus is not on the differences in COVID-19 mortality between men and women, which other studies have pursued [3,4]. The focus is on how the crisis has affected, and will affect, the position and future opportunities of women in Spanish society in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields
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