When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Already a subscriber? Log in.

You've reach your limit of free articles.

Get unlimited access to Worldcrunch

You can cancel anytime.

SUBSCRIBERS BENEFITS

Ad-free experience NEW

Exclusive international news coverage

Access to Worldcrunch archives

Monthly Access

30-day free trial, then $2.90 per month.

Annual Access BEST VALUE

$19.90 per year, save $14.90 compared to monthly billing.save $14.90.

Subscribe to Worldcrunch
Geopolitics

Quarantine Couples: The Good And Bad News For Gender Equality

Barcelona couple quarantined
Barcelona couple quarantined
Rozena Crossman

The ongoing lockdown in Italy has put Marco Rovello face-to-face with the balancing act that his wife pulls off every day between working a job and running a household. Yes, COVID-19 has forced teleworking couples into suddenly sharing the same "home-office," daily rhythms and — ideally — a fair share of family chores and parenting responsibilities.

"Before, I admit it, I thought that this was more of a routine and above all it was my wife who asked me how the day had gone, and not the other way around." Rovello told Io Donna, the women's weekly insert of Milan-based Corriere della Sera . "To see her so busy, between her teleworking and home chores, it's natural to help out."

Er…"help out?" Being suddenly enlightened doesn't necessarily mean getting all that much wiser. Indeed, a recent study found that one out of three Italian women reported working even more since the lockdown began, while only one in five men felt the same.

French daily Le Monde recently published an article explaining how families could balance the workload, citing the fact that women in heterosexual relationships were already responsible for 70% of domestic labor on average. In the anglophone world, both British and American academic journals are reporting significant decreases in publications submitted by women with a simultaneous increase in pieces by men. A recent study attributes this, in part, to the fact that, "based on the existing distribution of child care duties in most families, mothers are likely to be more affected than fathers' by school closures and telework.

As for the women who aren't working, things look even bleaker. A recent report from Canada found that in March, more than twice the number of women in their prime professional years were laid off than men of the same age bracket. The Institute for Women's Policy Research also found that over 60% of Americans who have lost their employment to the epidemic are women. Some of this may be due to the female-dominated workforces in many of the hardest-hit industries, including retail, restaurants and travel. But, of course, there is still bias inside both firms and families.

This crisis, we hear, will "change everything." When it comes to gender equality, the experience of men like Marco Rovello will hopefully just be the beginning of a wider transformation of society and the world of work. Perhaps, in this case, the best place to start is at the top. Some have taken note that it is women presidents and prime ministers who've been making headlines around the world for their exceptional leadership in handling the pandemic: German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern ... Just "helping out," I guess.


For the coming weeks, Worldcrunch will be delivering daily updates on the coronavirus pandemic from the best, most trusted international news sources — regardless of language or geography. To receive the daily Coronavirus global brief in your inbox, sign up here.

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Society

In Nicaragua, A Tour Of Nightlife Under Dictatorship

Nicaraguan publication Divergentes takes a night tour of entertainment spots popular with locals in Managua, the country's capital, to see how dictatorship and emigration have affected nightlife.

In Nicaragua, A Tour Of Nightlife Under Dictatorship

The party goes on...

Divergentes

MANAGUA — Owners of bars, restaurants and nightclubs in the Nicaraguan capital have noticed a drop in business, although some traditional “nichos” — smaller and more hidden spots — and new trendy spots are full. Here, it's still possible to dance and listen to music, as long as it is not political.

There are hardly any official statistics to confirm whether the level of consumption and nightlife has decreased. The only reliable way to check is to go and look for ourselves, and ask business owners what they are seeing.

This article is not intended as a criticism of those who set aside the hustle and bustle and unwind in a bar or restaurant. It is rather a look at what nightlife is like under a dictatorship.

Keep reading...Show less

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Already a subscriber? Log in.

You've reach your limit of free articles.

Get unlimited access to Worldcrunch

You can cancel anytime.

SUBSCRIBERS BENEFITS

Ad-free experience NEW

Exclusive international news coverage

Access to Worldcrunch archives

Monthly Access

30-day free trial, then $2.90 per month.

Annual Access BEST VALUE

$19.90 per year, save $14.90 compared to monthly billing.save $14.90.

Subscribe to Worldcrunch

The latest