The best mother’ s day gift? How about a safer and more tolerant world for women?
There’s a phrase I’ve seen over and over again throughout the pandemic that I really resonate with: “We are living through history and it is tiring.”
Trying to juggle work commitments, home schooling and Zoom catch-ups, all while staying healthy and, well, sane, has been a huge challenge for everyone. But, according to new research, lockdown has impacted one group more than any other, and that’s women.
Office for National Statistics data, released last week, found that women’s wellbeing has been the most negatively affected during the first year of the pandemic, with many reportedly feeling more anxious, depressed and lonely than ever before.
The research also found that women were more likely to be furloughed, while spending significantly less time working from home, and more time on unpaid household work and childcare. I’m sure none of this will come as a surprise to the women reading this column, but it is nonetheless very worrying to think the pandemic has perhaps widened the social inequalities that had, largely, begun to improve over the past few decades.
We know that women are traditionally still the ones who bear the brunt of the childcare and the responsibility of looking after family members who are sick or elderly. So, with the stress of a pandemic added on top of everything else, it’s no wonder we are physically and mentally exhausted.
Part of the reason I think women have been so disproportionately affected is the simple fact we don’t have the same amount of time to relax or blow off steam.
Here’s a prime example. For most, exercise is one of the easiest and most important ways to unwind and, for those with children, full-time jobs or both, the evening is often the only opportunity they have to go for a walk, run or just pop outside for a bit of fresh air. But women, unlike men, simply can’t do any of those things outside after dark.
It may surprise some men to hear this, but the majority of women would consider a night-time walk just too risky.
We avoid isolated spots, cross the road to avoid strangers, send our live location to friends, and carry personal safety alarms because we are scared of what might happen out there alone in the dark.
It’s an issue that has been widely discussed on social media in the wake of the tragic disappearance of Sarah Everard last week, and I know so many women have been sharing their own experiences of the everyday fear and anxiety that comes from simply being a woman.
It’s seems appropriate that today of all days, Mother’s Day, we have an open and honest conversation about how we can help, support and protect the women in our lives.
But it shouldn’t end at just talking – we need to take action and champion real change to ensure that future generations live in a safer, happier and more tolerant world. For me, that would be a much better gift than a card and a bunch of flowers.
I remember writing about the Bafta nominations last year and lamenting the truly shocking lack of diversity within every single category. So it was a pleasant surprise to see the awards seem to have taken a massive step in the right direction.
Not only do 16 of the 24 acting nominees come from ethnic minority backgrounds, for the first time in Bafta history, four women have been shortlisted
in the best director category. How fantastic is that?
It’s another great example of the world finally starting to take notice of the inequalities in our everyday lives, and I can only hope the trend continues.