Many know that women have faced a wage gap for years. Today, the wage gap is 0.81 cents to a woman for every 1 dollar made by a man. Non inclusivity, while not always, still occurred in the workplace towards women. But one factor has begun to push women over the edge and push more and more out of the workforce: the pandemic.
Everyone’s stress has risen over the span of the COVID-19 pandemic. While it is important to acknowledge that women have also taken steps to gain senior leadership and have more influence in the workplace, women are becoming more and more burned out with work. An article from Lean In describes how women are more likely than men to practice allyship within their companies. Women are also found to prioritize diversity, support, equity, and inclusion efforts within their corporate team. These efforts often go unacknowledged by the higher ups in companies, making women feel less acknowledged in their achievements with their team. Another article in Forbes backs up the article from Lean In with a theory they call the “Perfect Storm”. In a survey of 5,000 women across 10 countries, 80% of women have claimed their work has increased because of the pandemic and 66% of women describe how their work at home has increased as well. This goes back to the fact that many women feel burned out and struggle to balance work and personal time. 51% of surveyed women are less optimistic about future career prospects and 23% of surveyed women are considering leaving the workforce altogether.
When looking at how women are feeling worn down and unappreciated in the workforce, it is important to consider how this applies to our daily lives as college students. Often times, college students do not take enough time for self-care to just sit still and relax. From heaps of homework, club meetings, social outings, sports, and more, it can be hard to find a moment to take care of ourselves and recharge our personal batteries. Self-care is essential for our own mental health, physical health, and success as we pursue our individual endeavors.