The PeopleAlchemist Edit: change & transformation, business & lifestyle experimentation for TheWomanAlchemist

Covid-19, the tech accelerator and equality set back conundrum.

Covid-19 has definitely accelerated the pace of disruption and the automation revolution (click here to read last week article). The future of work is not so future anymore. However, with the positive aspects of this acceleration came inevitably the negative like the exacerbation of inequality.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission identified in the 2008-09 downturn analysis that economic pressure tends to increase inequality. Before the Covid crisis, the World Economic Forum also predicted it would take 257 years to reach economic parity between women and men. Imagine that?

In LinkedIn’s Workforce Confidence Index, the majority of women reported feeling work-related stress compared to men. Additionally, women have felt more vulnerable in their careers and spent more time working during non-work hours than last year. Women also took less time off as opposed to men.

Covid-19 the tech accelerator and equality set back conundrum

It doesn’t matter which way you look at it; the pandemic’s impact has been greater on women. Covid-19 contributed to equality set back.

Despite great technological advances, the old, ingrained stereotypes are still alive and kicking. Irrespectively of all the legislations and policies, the same assumptions about childcare, homeschooling and caring for family members exist. The expectation is still that women fulfil this role – whether both parents are working or not. 

It is not that the crisis and consequent tech acceleration are responsible for the deepening of the inequality; they, however, expose the harsh reality of social and workplace attitude, prejudices and problems (AKA how it really is rather than fancy statements). 

With off and on lockdowns and extended periods of disruption and uncertainty, the return to normality will bring its own additional challenges. 

So, where do you stand with the Covid-19 tech accelerator and equality set back conundrum?