This month’s review will be about opportunities, but not just any, it will be about the opportunities created by COVID-19. Moreover, I will focus on women and try to see how this unprecedented pandemic is impacting them, what lessons can be learned and what opportunities can be seized.
Please bear in mind that even though substantiated by credible sources and data, the ideas expressed here reflect my personal point of view, and I’m choosing to look on the bright side of things; not ignoring or downplaying the problems and long-term risks created but attempting to build hope and encourage action.
Gender inequality in the workplace has been discussed at length by international organizations so I don’t want to spend too much time on the obvious. What is more important is to point out that COVID-19 will clearly impact women across the globe so much more than men, partially due to the nature of jobs many of them hold.
The retail, service, travel, and hospitality industries are letting employees go due to low demand, and it’s not clear how long this will last. According to the ILO, approximately 47 million employers representing some 54% of all employers worldwide operate businesses in the hardest-hit sectors. The informal economy faces a 60% decline in the earnings of informal workers globally as stated by ILO, many of whom are women. Even office jobs face significant risks, and overall the economic impact will be felt strongly and women globally will be exposed.
It seems a rather gloomy reality. So are there any positives that could change the picture?
On a global systemic level, there are already many initiatives in motion, like the policy framework based on the International Labour Standards, which is made up of four key pillars to fight COVID-19. Since this pandemic left no country untouched, governments are more willing to listen and collaborate to identify feasible solutions, but financial barriers won’t allow an equal level of action to be taken.
A lot is left in the hands of employers and workers alike, and in some industries positive action and proof of flexibility are clearly visible. It seems as if the world had to embrace the opportunities of digital platforms allowing for remote work to an extent that was not expected for at least another decade. I am not alone in my conviction that flexible work arrangements and remote work are here to stay though, and it’s also a great opportunity for women.
A few aspects come to mind: first, companies will start looking beyond local markets for talent and will be more open to considering talent-hiring from distant locations. Traditional considerations like childcare and maternity leave will be less of an issue when considering female vs. male hires. Second, many female entrepreneurs who wanted to start companies will feel more at ease to pitch their offerings on Zoom, as we are already accustomed to distance meetings. More companies will operate like BRITE, where the team is dispersed around the world and the work is shared online, as are team and client meetings. A few years back, it would have been difficult to imagine this level of remote collaboration; now it feels like a more natural choice. Even though BRITE is already used to operating remotely, we also needed some support in the time of COVID-19, and chose a mindfulness group training on ZOOM with a female entrepreneur who translated the lockdown into an opportunity (great for the team and great fun in general). According to this World Economic Forum article, there has been an increase in entrepreneurial activity around the world over the past months. It is obvious that many startups won’t survive but the fact that initiatives have popped-up like mushrooms is hopeful.
Third, the pandemic has tested the ability of families to adopt co-responsibility and more equal distribution of housework and childcare, and even though not all thrive in this model it has become apparent that a lot can change in a short period of time. In a study by Deloitte performed in Switzerland, approximately 40% of respondents stated that they were more productive working from home during the pandemic. With adequate hardware and living conditions, this will give a boost to many in the developed parts of the world.
It is much more difficult to see the same level of opportunities in developing economies, and all international institutions agree that the long-term burden will be felt much more in these countries, as informal economy workers and caregivers unfortunately have little to no protection.
To conclude, the negative impact on the economy and workforces around the world is clear and indisputable. Opportunities for workers and women in particular will be more widely available in developed countries than in developing economies. Women will have more arguments on-hand while applying for jobs or starting their own initiatives and companies within the digital sphere, and finally, a certain level of housework will be better shared between partners, as proven possible by the lockdown. This should translate into positive changes and the empowerment of women, at least in some geographies, aiding the creation of more sustainable economies in the long run.
I know that my life during COVID-19 changed a lot but my personal experience points to more positives than negatives. It took some adjusting but my family learned how to be efficient working or learning from home, and seized the opportunity to connect with friends and each other. In the end, we became more agile and ready for what comes next.
Karolina Sudwoj-Nogalska
Marketing Lead at Britetrend