1 in 2 working women in India suffering from pandemic stress

The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a heavy toll on the emotional well-being of working women in India as nearly one in two of them (47 %) are experiencing more stress or anxiety, a new survey said on Thursday.

Worryingly, more than two in five working mothers are working outside their business hours to provide childcare, nearly twice as many men (25 per cent), according to the 'Workforce Confidence Index' survey by Microsoft-owned LinkedIn that was based on the responses of 2,254 professionals in the country.

For working men, the number stood at 38 per cent, pointing towards a disproportionate impact on women in these testing times.

Around 1 in 3 (31 per cent) working mothers are currently providing childcare full-time, when compared to nearly 1 in 5 (17 per cent) working fathers.

"One factor is balancing office and domestic work, the bulk of the latter being shouldered by women. Studies reveal increased participation of men during the pandemic, but women still spend most time caring for children," said Neha Bagaria, CEO of online portal JobsForHer.

The data suggested that working mothers are more likely to bear the brunt of distractions from childcare while men seek support from friends and family.

Only one in five (20 per cent) working mothers rely on a family member or friend to take care of their children, when compared to 32 per cent men.

The findings showed that more than 46 per cent working mothers report working till late to make up for work, and 42 per cent are unable to focus on work with their children at home.

About one in four freelancers anticipate an increase in their earned income (25 per cent) and personal savings (27 per cent), while close to one in three (31 per cent) expect their number of investments to increase in the next six months, the survey said.