COVID 19 and Emotional Labour of Women

 

The COVID-19 situation is unique, something we've never seen before. National blockades have been imposed in many countries, including India. Most of the work is transferred to the workplace from home. School closed. The stay-at-home family members always lead women to do more household chores. The increasing need for care in such uncertain times has added to even more women's emotional work and deterioration of mental health. Therefore, the Indian government must recognize the unpaid and invisible emotional work of women and take urgent political steps to reduce it.

The term "emotional work" was first introduced more than three decades ago by sociologist Arlie Hochschild. This is defined as managing and frequently suppressing your own emotions so that those around you feel comfortable and cared for. Most modern jobs require emotional work from everyone. However, women weigh a lot more than that. There are several examples illustrating how teachers should be expected to care more, how women politicians should be more attractive, how women should look more polite, and many more.

I grew up with women in the family who worked around the clock. Over time, a new generation of men in the family have started to help more at home, but the emotional workload is still on the hands of women. I don't remember my mother ever enjoying a vacation away from her family. His mind is constantly preoccupied with making sure his children eat on time, his grandmother taking medication, and the multitude of small but emotionally demanding tasks. He never really took a break. Many women perform this so-called task with such cruelty and grace that their intellectual work is often neglected and belittled.

The division of emotional labor in our society is inherently individual. OECD figures show that an Indian woman spends about 6 hours a day in unpaid care, in contrast to a man who spends less than an hour in it. A report published by Oxfam emphasizes that the economic contribution of this unpaid care could be up to 20 times the total education budget of India. Burns caused by this cause worse health outcomes in women. WHO has recognized that gender is a determining factor in mental health, as more women are more prone to mental health problems than men.

This skewed distribution of emotional work occurs primarily because women are brought up more caring and emotionally motivated on the grounds that they are "naturally good at it." On the other hand, men are allowed to let go of emotional situations. A 2005 study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family suggests that it is not differences in biology but the social construction of gender that lead to an asymmetric distribution of responsibility. Women, of course, aren't better at certain things; You are only conditioned to believe it.

It is difficult to quantify this seemingly invisible form of work. Dealing with it is made more difficult because it relates to culture, gender norms, and personal beliefs. However, the very complex nature of the problem requires the same revolutionary steps to solve it effectively.

Emotional work is often associated with gender inequality in society. The good news is that steps are being taken around the world to reduce gender gaps. Despite its complexity, India has made progress in estimating the Global Gender Index, closing two-thirds of the previous gender gap, particularly in women's education.

Reference :

Nus.edu.sg. (2021). [online] Available at: https://lkyspp.nus.edu.sg/gia/article/covid-19-and-emotional-labour-of-women [Accessed 24 May 2021].