Leandra Preston-Sidler, senior lecturer of Women’s and Gender Studies, spoke with Spectrum News about how the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected women. In this three-part series, Preston-Sidler, along with two other guests, discussed the increased burden of childcare and financial insecurity placed on women throughout the past year.
During the onset of the pandemic, more women than men faced layoffs and furloughs. For the women who began working from home, closures of childcare facilities forced them to work full-time while caring for their children. “This imbalance that we have been trying to right for so long, it’s like we’re just being pulled backward out of necessity because of the pandemic,” says Preston-Sidler.
As women continue to struggle to balance caregiving with work, Preston-Sidler urges them to take the time to focus on themselves. “Find time and find a way to take care of yourself in the midst of taking care of everybody and everything else,” she says.