Researchers: Women shouldering the burden of pandemic life more than men

TULSA, Okla. — Research shows women are shouldering the burden of the coronavirus pandemic far more than men when it comes to distance learning, childcare and household labor.

Dr. Ruomeng Cui from Emory University, along with researchers from Harvard University, studied a large database where scholars submit papers they are working on and found productivity among male researchers increased 35 percent during the lockdown, while productivity for female researchers stayed flat or dropped.

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Dr. Cui says this could cost female professors the chance at tenure opportunities, restrict opportunities for promotions and hold down lifetime earning potential.

Researchers say males were more productive because they were able to work without the interruptions of meetings and seminars, and didn’t have to commute, while females faced more interruptions because of childcare and household labor.

Dr. Cui says it’s not just a problem in the United States.

Researchers say there are seven countries that saw productivity increase for men, and either stay flat or drop for women.