In Zurich, Allyson Zimmermann also believes “there is potential for a massive change across the board” in the corporate landscape. But she advises against firms creating “blanket rules” for employees, arguing that Covid-19 has forced us all to think more about people’s personal circumstances and what they need in order to work effectively. While some may be coping with childcare demands, others may be living alone, looking after older family members, or managing long-distance relationships, which all have their own unique set of challenges. “Everyone has their own experiences,” says Zimmerman. “We have to get curious and ask questions and challenge assumptions of what the ‘home’ looks like.”
Other campaigners, however, are concerned that progress might not be as speedy as optimists hope, especially for women in roles outside the corporate world and those who may be experiencing additional entrenched social inequities connected to factors such as class or ethnic background.
Harriet Williams, who works as a consultant raising awareness of the challenges young parents in the UK face, believes any discussions within the business community need to go hand in hand with greater government efforts to shape more equitable labour markets. “There has always been a penalty on fathers in the home and a penalty for mothers in the workplace,” she says.
Williams is calling for employment protection laws for those on zero-hour or very flexible contracts, and expanding parental leave opportunities for men as well as women. But, in the meantime, the increased level of debate surrounding existing inequalities is at the very least, she argues, an important first step. “There are a lot of conversations around the family now... It's been quite positive to feel like these conversations are important and people feel really pushed to hear from different demographics.”
Back in Stockholm, pregnant entrepreneur Anna Xavier says her partner has started to become “more willing” to take on extra household chores. “I think the ‘new normal’ will be more partners and more husbands helping. People will be working more at home, and by being more at home it provides the perfect opportunity to do more and get things done,” says Xavier.
One ongoing challenge, she says, is that partners can often have different perceptions of how urgent chores might be. “For [my husband], it's fine to wait another day to pack the dishwasher. It doesn't matter if the kitchen is a mess. But then I can't really cook if the kitchen is a mess, because there isn't much space.”
She believes there’s therefore also a need for ongoing discussions – both within households and in society more generally – about what constitutes a fair share of the load. “If you cut the grass once a week, you can’t compare that to cooking every day.”
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July 01, 2020 at 04:25AM
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How Covid-19 is changing women's lives - BBC News
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