The Intersection of Gender, Caregiving, and Research Productivity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multi-Method Study
This is an Open Access article published in Gender and Women's Studies, available online: https://dx.doi.org/10.31532/GendWomensStud.5.2.001
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic differentially impacted the productivity of women researchers with children compared to men, with and without children. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between gender, caregiving responsibilities, and research productivity before and during the pandemic. We quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed survey (n=227) and follow-up interview data (n=44) collected from faculty and staff at a Carnegie Classification Research 1 public university. Findings suggest that women researchers with children faced increased caregiving demands and diminished research productivity during the pandemic, compared to men with children and researchers without children. As illustrated by the qualitative data, both women and men researchers with children noted challenges related to caregiving. However, women with children were more likely to cite the impact that increased caregiving demands had on their productivity and career trajectory. Our results highlight the need for institutional supports to mitigate the negative impacts of the pandemic on the career trajectories of women researchers with children.