The Balancing Act
Employed Women Navigating the Covid-19 Lockdown in Sri Lanka
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19451700 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Thilini N K Meegaswatta (0000-0002-4694-4264, Department of Language Studies, The Open University of Sri Lanka, Nawala, Sri Lanka), Thilini Meegaswatta (Open University of Sri Lanka, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 157-171 |
| Publication date | 2021-03-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | South Asian Survey (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0973-0788 • E-ISSN: 0971-5231 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0971523121993342 |
| OpenAlex | W3132456581 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 6 |
| References cited | 10 |
The global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on women: female care workers are at the forefront of the crisis and are facing increased health risks; women are disproportionately affected by the employment drop related to COVID-19 lockdowns and social distancing measures; they are exposed to an alarming increase in domestic violence and are shouldering heavier burdens at home in times of restricted movement. In other words, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing gender inequalities and vulnerabilities. While available reports and research crystallise the challenges faced by other vulnerable groups in general, there is a lack of insights to the unique challenges faced by formally employed women while negotiating the dynamics of home during full lockdowns. This lacuna is especially applicable to the Global South, given that the overwhelming majority of available research focuses on Western societies. In this backdrop, this article explores how formally employed women navigated the COVID-19 lockdown in Sri Lanka. A feminist reading of data gathered through a structured online questionnaire from 50 formally employed women as well as 15 men for the purpose of a comparative analysis sheds light on how far and in what ways employed women were able to balance their professional and personal commitments in a time of increased uncertainty and anxiety, while adopting new practices and deploying new skills. The article concludes that in spite of gendered expectations and challenges, employed women have been able to straddle both professional and domestic duties largely due to the unique resources available to them within the South Asian household. In addition, the article observes that the COVID-19 lockdown in Sri Lanka has opened up new spaces and practices that encourage both employers and employees to enable the better reconciliation of personal and professional spheres
Business · Development economics · Distancing · Economic growth · Economics · Negotiation · Pandemic · Political science · Public relations · Social distance · Sociology · Straddle · COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts · Employment and Welfare Studies · Gender Studies · Law · Medicine
Therapeutic practices in everyday life
Women, Peace, and Security and Increasing Gendered Risk in the Era of Covid-19
Livelihood Challenges in Handicraft Industry
Introduction. Syndemic South Asia
Gender and social protection and health policies promoted during the Covid-19 pandemic
Economic Contagion and the Repercussion on Remittances
Gender-Based Violence During Covid-19 Pandemic
The Cultural Dimension of the South Asian Community
Gender Variant Children and Institutional Arrangements
Byproductive labor
The Impact of Covid-19 on Gender Equality
Family Status Production
Performative Acts and Gender Constitution
Gendered Spaces and Women's Status
| Citations per year | 1.5 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2022 - 2023 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |