LEADERSHIP
A Future by Design
The inequities women still face are exacerbated by the pandemic , but there is opportunity for change
BY Amanda Blackwood
SHUTTERSTOCK ILLUSTRATION
Despite upward trends and optimism about a more equity-driven decade , 2020 began with the reality that women were still drastically underrepresented on boards , executive teams and in elected offices . And across all industries in the workforce , women ’ s salaries are approximately 19 percent less than men ’ s .
And then came March . The COVID- 19 pandemic changed the way most people work and live , but women have faced the brunt of the impacts , according to McKinsey & Company ’ s “ Women in the Workplace ” study of more than 40,000 women in 2020 . Women , particularly women of color , were more likely to have been laid off or had work hours cut than their male peers . A Bureau of Labor Statistics report showed that in December 2020 , more than 156,000 women lost jobs , and 16,000 men gained jobs .
For those women still in the workforce , the pressures of juggling their professional and personal duties are at an all-time high . A May 2020 report by the nonprofit women ’ s advocacy group Lean In found that women who have full-time 40-hours-a-week jobs and children and a partner were “ 1.5 times more likely than fathers ” to spend around 20 hours a week on housework , child care and other caregiving . Timewise , that equals having a part-time job on top of their full-time job .
There are 2.1 million fewer women in the U . S . workforce today than there were a year ago . This could mean $ 64.5 billion
26 comstocksmag . com | March 2021