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COVID, WOMEN, GENDER EQUALITY: THE GOOD, BAD AND THE UGLY.

Ta-da! I am here with another post today.

Gender equality, a global issue, threatens the development of women even in the 21st century. Some economists say that the fights of women for gender problems in society are withering away due to the pandemic. Are we matured enough to confront the elephant in the room?

Before we jump into the pay gap reporting statistics by various websites for analysis, let’s take time to appreciate the pleasant thing. The unpaid care work performed by women all these years finally possessed the limelight and was noticed for how difficult and valuable it is, because men work from home.

Even though we speak about gender and development, women empowerment, the statistics say that the UK experiences an 8.9% wage gap. In India, it goes as high as 19% (as of 2018.) If you think that a talented person gets paid equally irrespective of gender, then here is the blow for you.

While there is a high misconception about equal pay for equal work in high-skilled occupations, the gender wage gap raises to 30 percent there. You won’t believe it if I tell you that the gap increases when a man has the same extraordinary talent and experience compared to a woman in the same workplace.

Only the awareness of equal pay between genders can reduce this gender wage gap between men and women with the same potentials. If this statistic is not enough, COVID has put women’s fightback for a full generation, says Caitlin Moran. The pandemic situation has pushed women to labor unpaid again; in turn, leading to taking a break or quitting the job altogether.

Either a family couldn’t afford to pay for the daycare, or there is no daycare facility during the COVID situation, women have to choose between their personal life and career. This situation gets ugly when the statistics say that women do it a lot more than men.

We are asking women to make choices between their job and child care. We are asking women to take responsibility for unpaid labor. We are asking women to juggle between meetings and lunch preparation.

Though we speak in length about gender parity, it doesn’t start from our home. The materials, opportunities, and resources given for women and men are not the same, for they could face the choice together. Eventually, she has to take a break or decrease her working hours to run domestic life smoothly.

The unpaid home care, though largely contributes to the economy, are not valuable yet inside the house. Men must come forward to share their responsibilities more equally, thereby giving women a space to breathe and think of their own life. They wouldn’t miss those hikes, promotions, or ratings when they return to work after taking a break.

It’s high time already for men to take part in this movement of gender equality or feminism (whichever is comfortable), so women won’t fall behind. Let’s move forward together.

Boop, Good day!

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