This recession is hurting women workers more

Those with kids may have to stay home amid virus lockdowns, while others have lost jobs

The coronavirus pandemic is piling pressure on working mothers, says the writer. Around the world, these women are facing brutally hard choices about whether to stay home to look after their children - if they have not already been laid off.
The coronavirus pandemic is piling pressure on working mothers, says the writer. Around the world, these women are facing brutally hard choices about whether to stay home to look after their children - if they have not already been laid off. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
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As if working mothers did not have enough to worry about, experts are sounding the alarm that progress towards gender equality may be the latest in a long list of casualties of the coronavirus pandemic.

Substantial research has shown that most professional gender gaps are motherhood gaps; women without children are much closer to parity with men when it comes to salaries and promotions, but mothers pay a large career penalty.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on October 18, 2020, with the headline This recession is hurting women workers more. Subscribe