ABSTRACT
The article exposes the mothers' perception regarding the work overload with and without pay that they experienced during the pandemic caused by Covid-19. The methodology used was a qualitative investigation based on 8 mothers from La Araucanía, Chile. The research approach is descriptive, in which the personal and work experiences lived by the mothers are densely detailed, from their own voices, interpretations, and meanings attributed in the context of the pandemic. It is based on the interpretive paradigm to prioritize subjective awareness from the beliefs, values, and reflections of the women participating in this study. The data collection instrument is a semi-directed interview that consulted on the following topics: 1) workload experienced by women daily;2) changes in your organization and free time during the pandemic;3) affectation of emotions during the confinement. The data analysis technique used was thematic analysis to develop an inductive theory based on the testimonies of the women who participated in the study. Concepts, ideas, and meanings that result from the detailed analysis of the data are identified to specify and conceptualize the meanings and themes that the text contains about the work overload that women face in pandemic. The main results show a situation where the work overload of mothers has caused a negative impact on their mental health. In addition, there are patriarchal roots found in the conception of gender roles, increasing the stigma towards women as being in charge of raising and caring for their children and doing the housework. The main conclusions show that there is a high work overload on mothers, due to the high demand for work that increased as a result of the pandemic. It is also evidenced that despite living in a modern society, the perpetuation of gender roles still persists, meaning that women are the main ones in charge of taking care of the home and children, which has brought them negative physical and mental consequences © 2023, Revista Colombiana de Sociologia.All Rights Reserved.