Fighting back against the 'shecession'

AS a woman, there is one phenomenon that has been a cause of great concern. Around 2021, news agencies picked up on a mass exit of women from the labor force, both internationally and locally, that was dubbed as the "shecession." Even in relatively gender-equal Philippines, which had seen a steady rise in the number of working women from 2017 to 2019, there was a considerable drop in numbers by the time the pandemic rolled in and women accounted for 44 percent of job losses by 2020.

The shecession was further amplified by the fact that the pandemic exacerbated old problems and brought new stressors that have since put working women at a disproportionate disadvantage compared to their male peers. Suddenly, women found themselves more prone to burnout, due in no small part to the sheer amount of work that fell on their shoulders.