Psychosocial consequences of COVID-19 measures on older women and working mothers in Chile

ABSTRACT

COVID-19 pandemic and the health crisis have highlighted and accentuated certain socioeconomic, age and gender inequalities in Chile. In this qualitative article, we ask ourselves about the transformations and diverse practices developed by two groups of different ages women in response to the policies and measures adopted in Chile during the COVID-19 pandemic. From a qualitative approach, we worked with semi-structured interviews with working mothers and older women and carried out an analysis guided by grounded theory. The results show that COVID-19 measures produced several disruptions in the daily lives of both groups, especially in their routines, use of space and time;the reconfiguration and reduction of their social and support networks to cope with the crisis, and bodily and emotional effects caused by the overload of various reproductive, care and productive tasks. We conclude that women themselves generated diverse strategies to confront the crisis experienced in the pandemic, without any action by the State to address gender and age inequalities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Spanish) La pandemia de Covid-19 y la crisis sanitaria en Chile han evidenciado y acentuado ciertas desigualdades socioeconomicas, de edad y genero. En este articulo de caracter cualitativo, nos preguntamos por las transformaciones y las diversas practicas desarrolladas por dos grupos de mujeres de distintas edades ante las politicas y medidas adoptadas en Chile durante la pandemia de Covid-19. Desde una aproximacion cualitativa, se trabajo con entrevistas semiestructuradas a mujeres madres trabajadoras y mujeres mayores y se llevo a cabo un analisis orientado por la teoria fundamentada. Los resultados muestran que las medidas COVID-19 produjeron diversas disrupciones en la vida cotidiana de ambos grupos de mujeres, especialmente en sus rutinas, usos de espacios y sus tiempos;la reconfiguracion y reduccion de sus redes sociales y de apoyo para enfrentar la crisis, y afectaciones corporales y emocionales producidas por la sobrecarga de diversas labores reproductivas, de cuidados y productivas. Concluimos que fueron las propias mujeres quienes generaron diversas estrategias para enfrentar la crisis vivida en pandemia, sin una actuacion del Estado que atendiera las desigualdades de genero y edad. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)