Crisis Adaptability of Private-sector Urban Working Women: COVID-19 Dispatches

Abstract

The study aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the experiences of private-sector working women during a crisis, focusing on the COVID-19 period. Using a qualitative approach and the Reuben Hill’s ABCX family crisis model, this study delves into the nuanced struggles of these women and how they faced these adversities; such findings often get obscured in the aggregate nature of quantitative analysis. Utilizing eighteen in-depth interviews, which included sixteen Bangladeshi white-collar working women from the private sector in their early and mid-level careers and two experts in gender studies, we investigated three recurring themes: work-life balance disruption, organizational support, and leadership roles. The findings reflect how the women experienced significant stress when balancing remote work with additional household responsibilities and chores, especially when they lacked substantial support from family members. At the same time, the importance of organizational support in adapting to the changing environment is highlighted in the findings, which can enable organizations to incorporate gender aspects when formulating policies. The additional caregiving responsibilities at home during crisis harm their job and career, affecting their leadership potential. Furthermore, the findings emphasize the unseen and undervalued nature of unpaid domestic care work primarily carried out by women during COVID-19. By recognizing and addressing this issue and developing policies that support the reduction and redistribution of unpaid care work, we can alleviate the hardships faced by women during any crisis.

Social Science Review, Vol. 41(2), December 2024, pp. 1-28