The advent of the pandemic, lockdown and other restrictions have drastically impacted many women's everyday lives and experiences. These changes, on the one hand, increased the efforts and time devoted by them to unpaid care work and household activities and, on the other hand, suddenly shrunk the spaces that provided emotional support, reduced the time spent away from care work and devoted to their career goals which have negatively impacted their career aspirations, the perception around their work and mental well being.
Drawing on the author's personal experience as a journalist during the pandemic and interviews with six women employed in different fields, this paper examines the everyday gendered experiences of working women during the pandemic, including the impact on their career aspirations, perception of work, and mental well-being. The paper also highlights how the pandemic has reshaped women's everyday lives and their newly developed coping mechanisms to manage increased stress and anxiety.
The findings suggest that the pandemic has shifted women's career aspirations, setting restrictive boundaries and making them rethink possible, feasible and sustainable options considering the changes in their everyday lives as they strive to balance caregiving responsibilities with professional aspirations. The pandemic has also changed the perception of the relevance of women's work, especially for those that needed to step out of their homes for their work in light of their caregiving responsibilities, ensuring the safety and hygiene of others in the family.
This paper contributes to ongoing discussions about factors impacting women's career aspirations and trajectories by analysing working women's everyday experiences during the pandemic and their impact on their aspirations, perception of work and spaces of emotional support system, overall mental well-being and the women's coping mechanisms in times of increased stress and anxiety for supporting their emotional needs.
