COVID-19 and the Return of the “Housewife” By Madi Knapp

Welcome to the rebirth of 20th century gender norms, where women belong in the kitchen yet both men and women bring home the bread. Picture this: A woman. She has two children at home learning virtually who consume a large portion of her time. She has a state job, and her income is vital. Not only does she have to work more than before, but the domestic work falls on her shoulders. Her husband has a very time consuming job and is responsible for the majority of the family’s income. He doesn’t have many household responsibilities, largely because he has too much on his plate. His children rarely see him. This scene can undoubtedly be observed in households across the nation. The COVID-19 pandemic is not only a threat to our health, but, perhaps even more importantly, to the progress made for and by feminism, specifically the expectations of women in the home. As stated in an article in the Atlantic titled The Coronavirus is a Disaster for Feminism, “Across the world, women’s independence will be a silent victim of the pandemic.” (Lewis) 

As COVID-19 continues to spread across the globe, women are finding themselves trapped in their homes, burdened with the expectation of maintaining their families. It’s as if our society has been sent back in time. Schools are closing and couples are having to decide who will take care of the children, and more often than not, women are tasked with the care-taking. In most cases, a woman’s salary is less than that of their male counterpart. This discrepancy results in women being more likely to step away from their job to take care of their children. Juggling the never ending list of household chores, women are providing care for their children and spouse to make sure everything is in order and running smoothly. It’s eerily similar to a 1950’s evening, as highlighted in The Coronavirus is a Disaster for Feminism, where Dad is privy to “a freshly baked dinner and freshly washed children.” (Lewis) In an article from the New York Times titled When Mom’s Zoom Meeting Is the One that Has to Wait, Saba Lurie, who has two young daughters and a husband, talks about how she is dealing with the COVID-19 crisis as a working mom. It is noted that she “...quickly realized that, because her husband earns a higher salary, the bulk of the domestic work would fall on her.” (Medina and Lerer) This is the realization that millions of women around the globe are having. According to a recent survey conducted by the New York Times spoken about in the article Nearly Half of Men Say They Do Most of the Home Schooling. 3 Percent of Women Agree (Miller), women are bearing the brunt of extra labor as a result of the pandemic. It is noted that overall, “the crisis seems to be cementing gender roles.” It feels like there’s no way out. 

Experiencing the impact that COVID-19 is having on feminism is suffocating to say the least. I can only hope that as the pandemic continues to unfold, more people will begin to realize how harmful it is for women to be confined to their homes. Regardless, women should have support from their significant other; someone to depend on no matter what. Seeing how

feminism is in jeopardy is not only frustrating to me, but also motivating. I want to choose the right person to spend my life with, not only for myself, but so my kids can have an example of how they should be supported and loved. At the end of the day, COVID-19 is either going to illuminate the importance of feminism or send society spiraling back to the past; there’s no in between.