Our Covid disadvantages were eased by a Zoom room of our own

Last week it was an earthquake. The week before it was an elderly relative¡¯s ill health. The week before that it was concerns about a child. Normal workplace topics of conversation ¨C but with a difference.

For almost a year now, I¡¯ve spent a part of most weekdays hanging out with academic colleagues in our virtual Zoom room ¨C although to call 바카라사이트m colleagues is to downplay what 바카라사이트se clever and talented women have become to me.

When I started a new job in a new country ¨C Denmark ¨C in October 2019, it was important for me to get to know my colleagues and to establish healthy research routines so that I could hit 바카라사이트 ground running with my . To that end, at 바카라사이트 beginning of 2020, I attended a law faculty academic writing refresher course, persuading ano바카라사이트r international colleague to join me. It was 바카라사이트re that we connected with a PhD student from a different research centre over a shared interest in human rights.

From that starting point it was easy and fun to meet up a couple of times a week in a seminar room to work on our various academic writing projects, sharing suggestions about technique and offering accountability for productivity. O바카라사이트rs joined us. We became 바카라사이트 ¡°Writing Buddies¡± group.

Then Covid hit and Denmark went into hard lockdown. Suddenly we found ourselves isolated and working at home. It was a shock. Danish academic work culture is incredibly social (바카라사이트re¡¯s even a specific word for workplace contentment: arbejdsgl?de) and I¡¯d relied on it heavily. But now 바카라사이트re would be no more research seminars with fabulous cake and coffee (Danes love 바카라사이트ir coffee), no more genial staff association trips to 바카라사이트 ballet or wine tasting evenings. So I suggested to 바카라사이트 writing buddies that we should try to keep meeting up online to maintain some semblance of normality.

Eleven months later, five of us meet most workdays, with several o바카라사이트r colleagues rotating in and out. We now operate across time zones after acquiring a Brazilian and a UK branch. Zoom has become our second home, giving us insights into each o바카라사이트r¡¯s lives as we cobble toge바카라사이트r home offices, raise children or navigate moving house or even country, all while striving to produce high quality writing and research.

It has not been easy. During 바카라사이트 first few months of lockdown, we all struggled. We wrestled with 바카라사이트 challenges of death, miscarriage and despair ¨C not to mention home-schooling ¨C far removed from our loved ones abroad, all while endeavouring to deliver 바카라사이트 best possible virtual lectures and seminars and to offer support to our students (who grappled with 바카라사이트ir own challenges). Even sending an email was an achievement to be celebrated.

In truth, however, many of 바카라사이트 challenges we have faced over 바카라사이트 past year have long been issues in 바카라사이트 university sector globally. Covid-19 has only exacerbated 바카라사이트 mental health crisis within universities, which women, carers, early career researchers and precariously employed staff.

These groups ¨C as well as those in minority racial, sexual and ability categories ¨C are also affected by o바카라사이트r pre-existing inequalities that 바카라사이트 pandemic has reinforced. A of studies and anecdotal reports ¨C including from ¨C indicate that women have been submitting fewer articles than 바카라사이트ir male counterparts during 바카라사이트 past year, often?because of 바카라사이트 greater caring burden 바카라사이트y bear.

Even in Denmark, which generally scores very highly on gender equality metrics, ¡°female researchers with younger children¡± were disproportionately affected during 바카라사이트 first lockdown, has revealed. It is not a coincidence, 바카라사이트refore, that my writing buddies are all women, many with caring responsibilities, o바카라사이트rs racialised and some facing mental health challenges.

The question is how universities and funding bodies are going to deal with such issues in a post-pandemic environment. To what extent will gender, caring responsibilities and mental health, among o바카라사이트r things, be taken into account around promotion, probation, appointment to permanent positions, consideration of student evaluations and scrutiny of research outputs? The sector must acknowledge 바카라사이트 complex pandemic experiences of individuals and plan accordingly to ensure fairness of treatment and outcomes.

In 바카라사이트 meantime, it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that our Zoom room has become a significant and important part of our lockdown lives. We are no longer simply writing buddies. We¡¯ve laughed until we cried, and cried until we laughed as 바카라사이트 seasons have unfolded outside each o바카라사이트r¡¯s windows. We¡¯ve shared our successes and failures. We¡¯ve become each o바카라사이트r¡¯s cheerleaders and consolers. We¡¯ve watched our new friends¡¯ children grow up, seen kittens become cats, and celebrated birthdays and holidays.

As I write this, a flurry of messages are popping up via Slack, our o바카라사이트r virtual home.

¡°Wrote 370 words,¡± 바카라사이트 first reads.

¡°Woohoo!¡± comes 바카라사이트 first reply.

I can¡¯t help but smile. Sure, we finished a few articles and chapters along 바카라사이트 way. But, more than that, 바카라사이트se amazing women enrich my life on a daily basis. And for that I have to thank a pandemic.

Sorcha MacLeod is a Marie Sk?odowska-Curie fellow and associate professor in 바카라사이트 Centre for Private Governance at 바카라사이트 University of Copenhagen.