In the United States, two-thirds of all caregivers are women.
Caregiving means taking care of adults or children (or both) on a regular basis. It can include all of the different chores required to sustain modern life, such as cooking, cleaning, shopping and running errands, providing healthcare and bathing those who cannot do it themselves, organizing schedules, overseeing innumerable activities, and the list goes on.
So how does this affect women, and how can we support them?
The Lost Hours
Not only are women more likely to be caregivers than men, but they also spend more time performing these tasks than male caregivers do. In fact, roughly three out of every four hours of unpaid labor is done by women.
This work, often called “invisible labor,” has fallen historically to women. This is due to the outdated “breadwinner/homemaker” model our society has built where women’s work roles are still centered around the home and family obligation.
While caring for others is a compassionate and altruistic effort, this labor is often overlooked and undervalued. When a person’s work is not noticed, it can lead to feeling and being overlooked as well.
During the pandemic, over 2.5 million women left the workforce, either by necessity or after losing their employment. The burdens of the pandemic have only increased the “second shift” women perform.
Children who were previously learning in school are now attempting to do so from home. Elder care and childcare options are limited due to social distancing regulations. Meals once prepared elsewhere must be made at home. The list goes on.
The Effects of Unseen Labor
All of the new challenges to home life presented by COVID-19 can exacerbate already existing stresses for caregivers.
The CDC has reported that women who are caregivers are at greater risk for poor physical and mental health, including depression and anxiety.
Setting aside time to care for oneself when preoccupied with caring for other people can be difficult for many women but is crucial to maintaining good health.
Studies have shown that women who act as regular caregivers are twice as likely to forgo needed medical care as non-caregiving women. They’re also more likely to develop a chronic health condition.
Considering women typically do not get paid for this kind of labor, the disparity in all the stress and hours spent becomes even more striking.
If women in the U.S. earned minimum wage for all of the unpaid invisible labor they perform, they would make roughly $1.5 trillion a year.
Mothering Mothers
In order to correct this gender imbalance, society needs to give back to women as they have given to us. More women need to be given the opportunity for employment and affordable childcare. And men need to help take on some of the invisible labor that keeps families moving forward.
While having conversations with men about making the share of chores and responsibilities more equitable is important, speaking and connecting to other women caregivers can be vital. The support of other women who understand the required empathy and fortitude it takes to be a regular caregiver is irreplaceable. Caregiving support groups can be a great help to those feeling burnt out or unappreciated.
At G3, many of us understand what it is like to shoulder these domestic responsibilities. We see the need to push for women’s equality and opportunity.
Whether it is translating pregnancy health information into Farsi for expectant mothers or providing a Hmong interpreter for a parent-teacher meeting, we are working to do our part in advancing the care society gives women who have too often been overlooked.
To learn more about working with a passionate women-owned company working to change the world, contact us here.