Two long years of a global pandemic have left a brutal aftermath of fragile systems and unsustainable economies around the world. COVID-19, in line with the many global crises that have preceded it, has reignited awareness of an inequitable economic system within the United States. The resulting fallout has drastically exacerbated inequalities for women. In fact, the World Economic Forum found that approximately 36 years of work towards gender equality has been undone, widening the global gender gap and making it even more difficult to reach parity between men and women (Broom 2021). Within the workforce, women are more likely to be working in less secure, part-time jobs, in comparison to their male counterparts. In the U.S., 29.4% of women work part-time versus 15.8% of men (Lewis 2020). Not only do women disproportionately fill up lower-wage jobs, they also comprise a large amount of the frontline workforce which has been more prone to layoffs: teachers, child-care workers, and nurses (who worked in “non essential” areas within the hospital) (Jablonska 2021). Globally, as a result of the pandemic, female employment has declined by 4.2% in contrast to 3% for men (ILO 2021). In the U.S., the Institute for Women’s Policy Research estimates that women faced approximately 60% of pandemic-induced job losses (Salas 2020). These statistics are further exacerbated by the fact that many women had to willingly leave work. Entrenched gender norms that identify women as caregivers and undervalue women as breadwinners have forced women to quit their jobs to fulfill the majority of care labor. As Jessica Calarco, a sociologist studying systems of inequalities in family life, described it, “Other countries have social safety nets. The U.S. has women (Peterson 2020).”
Now, to counteract the past years’ economic undoing, recovery is the new target. A massive U.S. legislative response, starting in 2020, saw laws such as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and the American Rescue Plan Act temporarily addressing concerns about financial support and economic infrastructure. However, these rounds of fiscal support are once again dismissing the same demographic hit hardest by the pandemic (Cusick 2021). Women’s traditional standing within the economy has limited their “capacity to absorb economic shocks,” and subsequently, recovery efforts are not providing the same level of relief they are to men (Burki 2020). A report from the International Labor Organization found that nearing the end of 2021, men’s jobs are forecasted to recover, while 13 million fewer women will be able to rejoin the workforce, globally (ILO 2021). To counteract uneven recovery, gender responsive strategies must be incorporated into legislation. One piece of legislation that is being discussed currently is the Build Back Better framework. This bill covers funding for an extensive number of policies ranging from climate change, Medicare/Medicaid coverage, pharmaceuticals, and subsidies for child care, to name a few (Johnson 2021). Although it lacks bipartisan support by Republicans for it being too costly to the budget, and by progressive Democrats for not covering enough social priorities, this initiative could substantially see improvement towards equitable recovery. Progressive Senator Bernie Sanders also expressed his support for the bill, commenting that while the bill was not as complete as he would have liked, the provisions granted within the legislation are significant and lay the foundation for future reforms (Metzger 2021). Not only does the bill detail initiatives that will support women within the workforce, it also addresses many of the reasons women cannot join to begin with, especially after a global health crisis. To alleviate the gendered effects of the pandemic, recovery plans must also take into account the differences in the gender makeup of various industries. Legislation such as the American Rescue Plan almost exclusively targets sectors linked to infrastructure, which are predominantly comprised of men (Cusick 2021). While the plan will stimulate the economy, it leaves out occupations that are mainly composed of women such as childcare workers (94.8% women) and preschool/kindergarten teachers (98.8% women) (Cusick 2021). The Build Back Better framework addresses this problem by promoting a wider range of industries into the economic-recovery agenda. For example, the framework focuses on directly increasing the wages of child care workers along with teachers; by doing so, it provides a much more sustainable path to regrowth in comparison to its legislative counterparts (Baird 2021).
Barriers to reentry are also incomparably affecting women. Notably, working mothers have experienced some of the greatest challenges with rejoining the labor market. Mothers with children under the age of 10 are 10% more likely to consider leaving their jobs as opposed to men (Jablonska 2021). Increased responsibilities towards their children have left women unable to balance their careers with their home life, and as a result, many are opting to decrease their work hours, or even leave their jobs entirely (Bateman 2020). Female participation in the U.S., specifically, is one of the lowest among developed economies and has been linked to the restrictive high costs of care (Bateman 2020). In fact, a 2018 study found that in each state, average childcare costs were greater than 7% of annual household income, surpassing the federal affordability rate (Bateman 2020). Another analysis further built on this trend by revealing that participation rates of mothers were correlated with childcare supply: childcare deserts saw a three percentage point decrease in participation when compared to areas with adequate childcare supply (Bateman 2020). Investing to alleviate this disparity is crucial and is best addressed through investing in the childcare industry. The Build Back Better framework works toward this goal by not only targeting access to affordable and quality child care for families, but also creating a comprehensive paid family and medical leave program. Providing women with the option to work without concerns of inadequate or costly care options not only makes it more likely for them to stay within the labor market, but also incentivizes women to join it (Cusick 2021). Through directing attention to the key challenges that have kept women disengaged with the workforce, the Build Back Better program puts women at the center of recovery.
The economic improvements outlined within the Build Back Better framework in the form of educational investments, financial inclusion, and mitigating the burden of unpaid-care work has the potential to lessen the labor participation gap and significantly contribute to our economy. Understanding the vision proposed by the bill and assuming a “building forward fairer” approach will be instrumental in catalyzing opportunities for balanced economic growth that integrates women (ILO 2021). However, the current recovery period provides lawmakers with an opportunity to make intentional changes and investments and to bring women to the forefront of economic recovery as well.
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