The pandemic has heightened the maternal wall - what can we do about it?
The maternal wall (also known as, the motherhood penalty) has reached new heights since the pandemic - mothers have stepped out of the workforce at alarming rates.
When I saw that The Egalitarian was calling for contributors to their new blog, I felt compelled to put up my hand and say 'yes, I'll do it!' So, now I’m a contributor.
I'm excited (and somewhat nervous) to announce that my first piece has just been published.
It's called: ‘The COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: A bad time to be a woman and an even worse time to be a mother’.
Head over to read my story.
I needed to write this piece. It was one of those times when ideas and arguments came to me in fits and starts over the course of a few weeks. I threw everything into a file, read, researched, and thought some more. Then finally, I came to it, structured it, and wrote it.
I came back to it again and again - this writing underwent a lot of ‘surgery’ (as Strunk and White would put it), and it took a lot of mental gymnastics to say the things I wanted to say in just the right way - but I think I managed it. At least, at this point in time, I am really happy with (and, proud of - can I say that?) this piece of writing.
You might be surprised at the argumentativeness of this piece - it is possibly the most argumentative piece I have written in a very long time. I felt compelled to write it though. I think this is due both to my strong feelings about the subject matter - having been directly impacted by the lack of support for parents (especially mothers) in the work-force pre-pandemic, and having experienced the fallout during the pandemic.
We need to discuss these things.
Read the full article to get my thoughts on all this.
Sure, my one article is probably not going to change the world but I at least feel like I have done my bit: I have used my voice, I have put my thoughts and writing into the right hands, and I have allowed it to be unleashed onto the world.
This is precisely what Elysia and Della are boldly attempting to do with their new blog The Egalitarian - they believe that gender inequality is still very much alive, and they want to provide a platform for 'reliable, enlightening content that tackles the unfair system we are still experiencing in the 21st century.' They have numerous contributors with different takes on the world, but who all, ultimately, stand for gender equality and discussion of these complex issues.
If you want to read some really interesting articles on a variety topics that are joined by their focus on gender equality or exposing the inequalities - then head over to The Egalitarian and have a read. You can also follow them on Instagram.
Has your career been adversely impacted by the response to the pandemic? Leave your stories below, or contact me here if you’d like to chat.
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