Abstract

AYALA MIRA, Mónica; OBREGON VELASCO, Nydia  and  FIGUEROA VARELA, María del Rocío. Mexican women narratives facing Covid-19: Job insecurity and family overload. Rev. colomb. soc. [online]. 2023, vol.46, n.1, pp.69-91.  Epub May 02, 2024. ISSN 0120-159X.  https://doi.org/10.15446/rcs.v46n1/100929.

The Covid-19 pandemic in Mexico had significant consequences for the economy and social dynamics not only in health. Given the neoliberal policies, the impact was especially perceived in women. In general, home overload and precariousness in extra-domestic work was reported. The objective of the study was to analyze the narratives about job insecurity and family burden by Covid-19 of women from three states of the Mexican Republic. In a study qualitative and exploratory study we analyzed the narratives of eight women with jobs outside the home located in the cities of Morelia, Tepic, and Mexicali. The findings, analyzed with a gender perspective, allow to visualize forms of subjection according to job insecurity with emphasis on the individual over the collective. Their stories show the overload within the domestic unit, work self-exploitation, and the consequences on the physical and mental health, as well as the necessary changes to adapt the digital gap that they had to respond to, they needed to turn to micro-entrepreneur to generate incomes. All of this implied family dynamic changes and their own personal resources. We discuss the need to replace the individual empowerment approach to a socio-community model, where unpaid work does not deepen gender gaps.

Keywords : Covid-19; gender; precariousness; overload; women; work.

        · abstract in Spanish | Portuguese     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )