Stuck inside: is it just more work for women?

The living situation brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, where many couples are working from home, is bringing to light the greater amount of caring and household work women carry out at home.

Two university professors agree that this situation presents an opportunity for couples to discuss their roles and achieve a better balance.

“One of the things that working from home is bringing to the fore is the greater amount of work women carry out both in terms of caring for others and doing other chores. This is because couples end up observing each other’s work schedules,” says Angela Abela, a professor in the Department of Family Studies within the University of Malta’s Faculty for Social Wellbeing.

Brenda Murphy, a professor in gender studies within the same faculty adds: “This lockdown situation put a magnifying glass on what we already knew. Now this is more visible and more women are speaking up about it.”

The Gender Equality Index 2019: Work-Life Balance, issued by the European Institute of Gender Equality last October, showed that women across most EU countries still take on the bulk of the responsibilities at home.

The report showed women in Malta are much more...