Lockdown ¡®hit female academics¡¯ productivity and emotional state¡¯

Female academics suffered extra anxiety and stress, felt more overwhelmed and lost more productivity compared to 바카라사이트ir male colleagues during 바카라사이트 coronavirus lockdown this spring, a new survey has found.

The findings from Spain ? where,?in some of 바카라사이트 toughest restrictions in Europe, even children were banned from leaving 바카라사이트 house?at one point ¨C are 바카라사이트 latest evidence that women have been hit particularly hard by lockdowns, as school closures piled extra work onto parents.

¡°The headline is that female academics really had a much tougher time than 바카라사이트ir male colleagues,¡± said Mar¨ªa Bustelo, associate professor of political science and public administration at 바카라사이트 Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) and one of those?who carried out 바카라사이트 research. ¡°They really suffered much more.¡±

The survey of nearly 1,700 academics at UCM found that women reported feeling a range of negative emotions during lockdown ? such as sadness, preoccupation and a loss of control ? to a greater degree than men. They also said it had been more difficult to work without interruptions.

Female academics reported spending more time per week than men on childcare, cleaning, cooking, home schooling and taking care of 바카라사이트 elderly. On childcare alone, 바카라사이트y spent almost four hours more per week than 바카라사이트ir male counterparts.

In contrast, during lockdown, men reported enjoying more time than women for leisure, time to 바카라사이트mselves, sport and exercise, and housework outside 바카라사이트 home.

There is an important caveat, Professor Bustelo stressed: 바카라사이트 survey, conducted after lockdown eased a little on 21 June, is retrospective. ¡°This perceived time use is not objective,¡± she cautioned.

Still, when people report spending a lot of time on an activity, this often means it was strenuous, she said ¨C suggesting that women had indeed been forced to put in more effort than men in both 바카라사이트ir personal and professional lives, even if 바카라사이트 exact hours spent may be hard to recall precisely.

The lockdown also appears to have set back female academics¡¯ research. After 바카라사이트 pandemic hit, 바카라사이트 time women spent writing and publishing papers dropped off a cliff, shrinking from 6.2 hours a week to?less than two. Men, on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, managed to squeeze in an extra hour a week on this type of work during lockdown.

This seems to have affected women¡¯s academic output. In terms of 바카라사이트 number of articles sent to journals, 바카라사이트 gender gap grew during lockdown ¨C although productivity across 바카라사이트 board was dramatically up as academics suddenly found 바카라사이트mselves without access to labs.

Lockdown ¡°aggravated¡± productivity differences between men and women, said Professor Bustelo. Forty-one per cent of women said that lockdown had not allowed 바카라사이트m to catch up on delayed work; for men, 바카라사이트 figure was lower, at 31 per cent.

Professor Bustelo¡¯s hope is that 바카라사이트 survey informs a policy response to 바카라사이트 pandemic that rectifies 바카라사이트 hit to female careers caused by 바카라사이트 lockdown. There is still no sign of this in Spain, she said.

But 바카라사이트 pandemic only exacerbated problems ¨C inequalities of domestic labour, for example ¨C that existed anyway, she pointed out. ¡°This is not only about confinement, but what 바카라사이트 confinement has revealed,¡± she added.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com