Women are leading pandemic relief and recovery as non-profit workers, but their childcare duties are holding them back

As the COVID-19 pandemic devolves into a long-term socio-economic crisis, pressures on women will be felt very strongly in the social impact sector. Although women make up about 50 percent of the labour force in Canada, in the non-profit sector, between 75 percent and 85 percent of workers are female. In March, however, women represented 70 percent of all job losses in Canada, and in May, employment among men increased at more than twice the rate of employment among women — partly because women’s work is already precarious, and partly because of increased childcare pressures on the majority of working mothers.

This problem has been observed globally. Astra Bonini, a senior researcher at the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs, is also a mother of two young girls. “It’s a huge challenge because COVID-19 is something that has to have a global response, she says. There are so many socio-economic issues, so the amount of work that needs to be done – I am so motivated. And yet the circumstances [allowing her to dedicate time to this] are exactly the opposite.” 

In 2015, Statistics Canada found that women spent 3.9 hours per day on unpaid work – 1.5 hours more than men. The authors of the Time Use Survey (which, aptly named, surveys how Canadians spend their time) argued that, over the last decades, men have not increased their childcare duties to the same extent that women have increased their participation in paid work. As women have significantly increased their contribution in the workplace, they have not necessarily shared their responsibilities at home. 

Though daycares are beginning to reopen and provinces are beginning to discuss plans for reopening schools in the fall, working parents, and particularly working mothers in the social impact sector, have been attempting to cope with months of school and daycare closures.  “Predominantly, there is a working mom in the background helping with the craft projects and so on. Everyone is just treading water, trying to keep from drowning and get their work done. It’s grueling, it’s exhausting, and it’s not something that you can sustain for any kind of long period.” adds Bonini.

At best, working parents of young children are halfway through the most intense period of their lives, where educational institutions are currently set to reopen in September. However, until there is a vaccine, schools could be postponed further, or could only be opened for half the day, according to various scenarios under consideration.

“This is an issue that more politicians should take on,” says Audrey L’Espérance, political scientist and researcher in health policy at the University of Montreal. She works from home with a toddler but has also had the opportunity to do very impactful work — advocating for patient-centered health policies — mostly early in the morning and late at night, or during nap time.

Failing to provide adequate childcare options for parents has set off a chain reaction of sorts. The pandemic is leading to a social and economic crisis of global proportions. This crisis will have to be addressed and mitigated by the social impact sector, which is primarily staffed by women. If women, due to the childcare gap, are not able to work, then it is not only their individual livelihoods that are at stake, but the entire pandemic recovery.

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has compiled a list of reports on the social and economic impacts of COVID-19. The topics covered included long-term care (where more than 90 percent of workers are women), mental health, job losses and domestic violence. This illustrates that the most areas of recovery work in Canada will be in the non-profit sectors. Globally, the United Nations has argued that mitigation of the crisis should involve universal social insurance, access to health and education, and reduction of economic inequality. Given that we are facing a pandemic as severe as the 1918 Spanish Flu and an economic crisis as deep as the Great Depression, women working in these sectors face an enormous and incredibly meaningful workload, likely for at least the next two years, and those who are mothers might not have the time and attention to devote to it.

Nevertheless, there has not been enough action to acknowledge this overwhelming reliance on women — for care work inside and outside the home. Some actions, such as the creation in May of The Prosperity Project, which aims to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on women in Canada, seem promising. However, summer holidays are just beginning and so far, few options, aside from a reduced number of day camp facilities, have been put forward to support women for the next three months. 

Since the beginning of the pandemic, schools and summer camps appear to be the only solutions considered for childcare, but there are alternatives. Babysitters and family childcare have been allowed in some provinces, but could be prioritized, and even subsidized. Some countries, including France, have allowed co-confinement, which in essence allows for families to share nannies and have their children play together. From a management perspective, organizations could ensure that they get their best work from their employees by reducing meeting time and focusing on the essentials.

In the longer term, however, we must find a way to reduce the childcare burden on women, particularly during emergencies. The pandemic has brought to light numerous gaps and inequalities in our society, which will need to be addressed. Women aren’t the victims of this pandemic  — they are its frontline workers, leaders, and agents for recovery. It’s time to start recognizing this and to be much more proactive in easing their workload. Otherwise, the country’s recovery won’t get very far.

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