Shadhika Shadhika

Blog

A weekly COVID-19 update from Shadhika's partners and the young women we support in India.

Covid-19: Working Remotely

By Gillian Ford, Marketing Manager

April 13, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes

For many, “going virtual” during the pandemic has been quite easy. In the U.S. we are accustomed to the idea of working remotely, and many businesses and even more universities and schools have adapted to this crisis relatively easily through virtual work and learning. However, in low-income communities where internet can be inconsistent and telecommunications very costly working and learning remotely presents unique challenges.

On the Ground: The reality of working from home

Around the world, we are all becoming much more familiar with working from home. And everyone can attest – it isn’t always easy. Sabah, a member of Shadhika’s staff, shares her experience working from home for the first time while under national lockdown. She lives in Mumbai with her nine family members. Read her story here.

News from India: Gender equality at home

As India continues on its national lockdown, the burden of household work falls almost entirely on women and girls. Studies have shown that 60 percent of the work  Indian women do is unpaid and unrecognized, while for men, the number is at 10 percent. “Men and boys must be sensitised to the huge burden of care work women and girls carry. Boys must be trained in housework. In that sense, the lockdown could be an opportunity to introduce gender equality at home.”

The complexities that women face navigating professional work at home with expectations of housework are not to be underestimated. While the lockdown may provide an opportunity to for greater equality it could also exacerbate the burden that women already shoulder.

Read the article by Divya J. Shekar for Forbes India here.

Global Impact

Want to learn how social distancing during the pandemic is impacting other communities around the globe? Explore stories from our partners at the Posner Center for International Development: 

Read more