“Women’s work” and wellbeing: Experiences from the frontlines of the COVID-19 response
Dr. Julia Smith & Alice Murage
Women in Canada and around the world have been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, as responders like health care workers, paid and unpaid care workers and educators, and as essential workers in the accommodation and food services industry. While such “women’s work” has historically been undervalued and poorly recognized, the pandemic has highlighted its contributions to public health and economic stability. Less discussed are the effects of such work, often precarious and underpaid, on women’s own wellbeing. In this talk, we learned from experiences of female health care workers and immigrant women in the accommodation and food services industry in British Columbia in terms of how to better value women’s work and wellbeing.