Gender and race stereotypes have significantly influenced the balance of paid and unpaid work. Usually, women are treated as unemployed due to the necessity to provide care for their children. As a result, they are often deprived of equal to men career opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly broadened the care responsibilities of women. Due to lockdowns and health protection measures, women are under more significant pressure than earlier. Considering the pandemic implications, the governments should propose extending the policies regarding balancing paid and unpaid work. Kate Power discusses this issue in her recent article called “The COVID-19 pandemic has increased women and families care burden” (Power, 2020). The author points out that the only possible way to prevent workforce discrimination and minimize the burden for women and families is the government funding and protection policies.
The future of society is doomed based on the youth’s understanding of particular problems. The balancing of paid and unpaid work and other care economy details is essential to comprehend correctly by young people. The first fundamental issue of the care economy is the necessity to divide home responsibilities equally between men and women (Power, 2020). Such an approach will contribute to minimizing gender employment-related stereotypes. Lowering discrimination in the workplace will reduce the burden on women carers. Young people also should understand the essential role of equal child care from both parents from the larger perspective considering the economic implications of unpaid work on society.
Young people should also take into account the essential role of unpaid work. Raising children’s carers ensures the future development of society. It is vital to provide high-quality care and education for children. Thus, such profound work should be respected and rewarded appropriately. The government can contribute to reducing the care work through investments. The social worker’s services, infrastructure, and medical help should be developed to become more accessible for carers to alleviate their work. It is also vital for the government to ensure the representation of this problem in policymaking (Power, 2020). Society and government can reduce the post-COVID-19 negative consequences through the above-mentioned actions.
From my point of view, one of the essential steps the policymakers can take to support the career and families is the development of social services alleviating the care work. Another issue to be addressed is the social recognition of the importance of unpaid work in eliminating gender stereotypes (Power, 2020). Moreover, it is also essential to provide material support in paid family leave and extended unemployment benefits for childcare (Power, 2020). The development of the healthcare sphere and its accessibility to carers is also an essential aspect in minimizing the negative implications of the pandemic. It is also vital to offer legal material support for unpaid workers through various compensations. Moreover, minimizing gender discrimination at the workplace and reducing wages due to family reasons is crucial for the care economy. The policies against the deprivation of workers’ rights should be respected.
Thus, COVID-19 has significantly aggravated families’ burden, especially for women performing unpaid work. The government’s development of the care economies issues can contribute to better living conditions and solving various problems such as broken families and gender inequality in the workplace. Changing the attitude towards unpaid work can respect the carers raising the future generation. Such an acceptance of their work’s role is extremely important during the post-COVID-19 period. The pandemic is a perfect opportunity to enhance the positive systemic changes in the economy and social support.
References
Power, K. (2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the care burden of women and families. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 16(1), 67–73. Web.