A Gender Perspective on the Impact of COVID-19 on University Researchers

ABSTRACT: This article presents a study that documents how the changes provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic have widened the gender gap among university faculty members in Catalonia. The 32 interviews conducted for the purposes of this study with university professors/ researchers in Catalonia (half men and half women) make evident that the pandemic has brought with it additional demands in terms  of domestic work and care for dependents, and that this new burden has been borne disproportionately by women. Women researchers’ wellbeing and productivity have both suffered as a result, as during this  period (May 2020-May 2021) many of them devoted additional time and concern to their homes and  families, and they often experienced stress and anxiety. Meanwhile, some of their male peers, including some of those with small children, reported having been able to take advantage of the conditions of the pandemic to make progress in their research.

KEYWORDS: COVID-19; gender studies; university researchers; lockdown.