"The Pandemic Isn’t Forcing Moms Out of the Workforce — Dads Are"

This article dates back to July 2020, but I just saw it today on Facebook, courtesy of Aliza M. Hausman.

Personally, I think that both that article and the one to which it refers, about which I posted here, miss part of the problem.  As I commented:

"BTW, it doesn't have to be women who take care of the children. Rather, men could be stay-at-home dads while women work."

That decision may depend on which spouse has the higher income. [End of my comment.]

But the linked article certainly makes an important point about sharing childcare and housework responsibilities:

"For reporters: Instead of another article on how moms are struggling to juggle their work and childcare, what about a piece — or several — on how fathers are doing too little? Let’s be direct: Men’s refusal to do an equal share of domestic work during the pandemic — a decision that could roll women’s rights back by decades — is a national scandal. Why aren’t we covering it as such?

We can’t be above a little old-fashioned shaming. Not when the stakes are this high (and the behavior this shameful). The pandemic isn’t forcing mothers out of the workforce — it’s just shining a light on long-standing inequalities. The coronavirus doesn’t care who does the dishes or who helps with homework. So when we talk about these issues, let’s be precise: Covid-19 may be making it harder for parents to balance their home and work lives; but it’s dads who are making it harder for moms."

See also my Tuesday, March 12, 2019, post, "Book review: "Fed Up--Emotional Labor, Women, and the Way Forward," by Gemma Hartley.