How three organizations are stepping up to assist female employees with childcare and other support

Women have made great strides in equality in the workforce, finally attaining more than half the working population before the pandemic hit a year ago. Suddenly, decades of progress are being threatened not just by a global virus but a system that’s long failed women: childcare.

Even in 2021, women are still handling most of the childcare and housework, and most organizations don’t provide enough—or any—childcare services. So when COVID-19 caused offices, schools, and daycares to shutter overnight, the effect on women was devastating.

According to a McKinsey report, 76% of mothers with children under 10 report that childcare is one of their top three challenges, while 54% of fathers say the same. Significantly more women have considered reducing their work hours (17%), switching to a less demanding job (16%), or taking a leave of absence (15%) due to pandemic burdens compared to only 9% to 11% of men.