Women Faculty and Increased Working Hours due to COVID-19 in Higher Educational Institutions: An Empirical Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected working women, particularly in the valley of Jammu and Kashmir, where they already faced challenges due to the abrogation of Article 370. Before the pandemic, women performed 75% of the care economy work, three times more than men. The pandemic has increased the burden of the care economy on women by 30% and has taken a toll on their work-life balance.A study was conducted to investigate whether COVID-19 increased the workload of women faculty in higher educational institutions in the Kashmir region. The study found that women faculty spent more hours on childcare and official work after COVID-19. The work-life balance satisfaction was low for working women faculties both with and without children.The paired t-test was applied to check the pre- and post-COVID-19 workload of female faculty. The results showed that female faculty spent more time on household and childcare after COVID-19. Their husbands’ contribution towards care increased slightly after COVID-19. The time spent on official work increased significantly after COVID-19.The study has implications for policymakers and academicians. Policymakers can formulate reasonable policies to relieve women of workload, help them manage time effectively, and achieve work-life balance satisfaction. Academicians can conduct further research to identify relationships between extended work hours and the career advancements of women at the workplace.