Portraits of those who are making it work.
The value of women’s work, both paid and unpaid, has never been more apparent than during the coronavirus crisis. As Diane Coyle recently noted in The Times, women’s shift into paid employment was one of the great economic transformations in recent history, but it did not free women from their myriad unpaid roles as caregivers, homemakers and community volunteers. These six women talked to The Times about what it’s like to straddle that divide. Their quotes have been edited and condensed for clarity.
Although my life was unstable and traumatic, I feel like that experience has molded me into the person I am today. I worked so hard to get to where I am. Once I transition into a social work role, my pay will increase and I won’t have to work at my second job as often. I often find myself telling my daughter things will be different financially when I move into another role. — Naudia West
I think there’s just that idea that the amount of confidence that a woman can have coming into a job should be a little bit less than a man’s.
