In midst of a pandemic, mental and physical distress in women has increased

The strain of domestic chores and office work has increased so much on women in the COVID-19 era that 23 percent of working women globally and 26 percent of working women in India are considering quitting their jobs. Deloitte recently issued an international study of 5,000 women from ten nations, which indicated this.

|| Ankur Gautam, Strategic Human Resource Professional

It is frequently stated that women and men have equal rights to exercise in our culture, but reality checks reveal a different picture. Women must deal with a flurry of obstacles in order to accomplish a single straightforward aim. The aforementioned study may uncover hidden factors that drive women to leave their professions by thoroughly analyzing these difficulties. Everyone is overburdened by home chores and professional commitments during a pandemic, but women are facing more mental and physical distress these days because they are expected to deal with it the majority of the time. People at home anticipate that they will manage household responsibilities while working.

Globally, women carry out at least 2.5x more unpaid care work than men; in India, it is 10x more and COVID-19 has increased the burden for women by a further 30% according to FSG’s research. Amid pandemics, various reports and research also say that domestic violence has increased in India. According to the NCW data, 1,463 complaints of domestic violence against women were received from January, 2021 to 25th March 2021. Nevertheless, women continue to work and undertake household responsibilities to preserve financial stability and sustain their families and are still rated on their effectiveness and commitment in the office and home. Women endure gender disparities, unequal pay, fewer professional advancement chances, and gender discrimination at the workplace. Despite these obstacles, she manages to keep the household running well while also maintaining a social life.

WOMEN ARE TRUE POWERHOUSES

As a married woman, it’s challenging to keep track of everything at home. From morning tea to late-night dishwashing after meals, women labour tirelessly to accommodate the requirements of everyone in the house. I’m not going to comment on her extracurricular activities, but she doesn’t get any #metime. She is required to manage household tasks during office hours in some cases, which makes it more difficult for her to reply to managers if deliverables do not make it on time. We all have a responsibility at home to understand that she is paid for her work, therefore her productivity and attention to detail are equally as crucial as working men’s.

Sometime our parents fail to understand current work culture as a result of generation gaps or because they do not have experience of the current working environment, so the spouse should take initiatives to explain to his parents that it falls under their profile and that this is something we must understand. After all, women work the entire day, whether for paid or unpaid services, for financial growth and security, especially during a pandemic where people are either unemployed or paid half of the salary. Our genuine affection and tenderness are sufficient acts to replenish their energies. When they are on call with their peers to discuss official concerns or random discussions, their spouses or in-laws are watching. I heard a couple situations where a husband told his wife not to talk to a specific person because he was insecure. These instances have a negative impact on their personal and professional lives, which is awful. Even now, women adjust to the situation and manage their homes while also performing their professional tasks.

The unemployment rate for women shot up to 17%, more than double the rate for men, data from private research firm Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy revealed. Most women have left their jobs, and some have been unable to return to work amid a pandemic to ensure the safety of other family members who live with them. I simply indicated the main reasons for giving up the work, however. Owing to their family related issues, women’s attrition is higher compared to men. Women endure enormous obstacles internally.

I talked to Ms. Shivani Saxena, a simple housewife based in Delhi, about her career advancement. Her whole success can be ascribed to her husband Saket Saxena, son Vedant, and daughter Saanvi, who have all actively pushed her to pursue her ambition. A lecturer at a government polytechnic, Delhi is now a fashion diva solely due of her family’s support and her strong will power. There were times when she underwent tremendous ups and downs, however, on the basis of self-confidence and mental strength, she could confront these obstacles and conquer barriers to achieve her passion. Having a discussion on women’s condition in new normal she replied that if a woman believes in herself and is raised in a supportive environment, she can accomplish anything and attain any goal.

CHALLENGES AT WORKPLACE FOR WOMEN

It is the organization’s job to create a work paradigm that allows a diverse staff to collaborate effortlessly. Organizations must ensure that they have well-written policies in place for work-from-home workers, particularly women, who face unique obstacles and are involved in a variety of activities. Work from home employees should have a proper work assessment system in place, and their present performance should not be compared to their previous performance when they used to work from the office. There is a significant disparity in all terms. When we work in an office, we have people around us to communicate and chat as needed to complete a task, but today we have a lengthy process to connect with a colleague or management. All interactions take place by text, voice call, or video call. Our coworkers and supervisors must recognize that their female employees have other responsibilities at home, and they must be vigilant enough to prioritize voice or video conversations after work hours. You should use an official channel to reach your female employee rather than writing or calling your personal contact. They should exercise caution when making statements and using words while texting or speaking, as these can be heard by any family member, resulting in misunderstandings at any level. Your relationship at work may be extremely pleasant and friendly as buddies, however when your communication reaches her home, a great deal of caution is essential. To avoid an

unpleasant circumstance for your female colleague in front of her family members, male team members should be properly dressed during video calls during meetings or one-on-one video calls. Remember that everyone is unique, so her personal life and the people she is related to, so your proactiveness, can help her manage work even at odd hours.

CONCLUSION

Working conditions for women may be more pleasant and joyful if they obtain enough support from their family and partner. If one or both are working from home, they must establish a home workstation so that they do not interfere with each other’s activities and may enjoy their space while working. Make sure to keep the volume down when watching television or listening to music so that other people working in the same area are not disturbed. Couples can split home activities to reduce workload and eliminate the need to remind the other person of their portion all the time. You should spend some time with children, depending on their age, to bring intimacy between couples and to reunite them on these occasions, which helps to refresh things. Everyone needs their own space and time to themselves from time to time so be patient, kind, and sensitive to that.

Organizations can demonstrate their support by providing opportunities for growth, benefits such as work-life balance, avoiding unconscious bias, making the workplace more inclusive, and establishing policies that welcome women returning from maternity leave or coping with family difficulties.