Every year, May 15 is observed as International Day of Families. It celebrates the significance of families while also attempting to raise awareness about family-related issues. The pandemic has put a halt to many families’ everyday routines, leaving them with no choice but to stay at home.
Amid Covid pandemic families all over the world have been put under a lot of stress. Deep-seated gender disparities and discrimination have stacked the deck against women. The burden of unpaid services and domestic labour on women has risen exponentially as quarantine measures force people to stay at home.
Keeping this in mind, the theme this year for the day has been kept as what the impact of new technologies has been on the well-being of families. However, the long-term impact of the Covid – 19 pandemic created the necessity to lean on emerging technology to shape our environment.
Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director, Population Foundation of India, expressed that “Women’s economic and productive lives are disproportionately impacted, and they spend twice as time providing unpaid services. We’ve seen how lockdowns have harmed maternal health by preventing women from accessing maternity services. Now it is high time, we must use online channels and come up with new ways to react to the threats to women’s health and employment.”
There are many online websites that provide women with job opportunities like selling products online, freelance writing, make-up and beauticians’ work, online data entry, online surveying, social media influencing, virtual assistant etc. It helps them become financially independent. There are many free as well as paid courses available online so housewives can join them and learn new things. Social media platforms give them the opportunity to follow their passion, to exhibit their talents to the world as well as creates earning opportunities. There are also online platforms like digital health clinic, women health care centre which provide 24×7 mental and physical health care service to women.
The role of women in the family is like that of the spinal cord in human beings. Women are the key to sustainable development and quality of life in the family. In this digital world, providing women with the tools they need to continue their education, connect with support systems and access quick and effective medical care, access the employment opportunity will definitely strengthen the family in the real sense.
