Abstract
Objective
This research explored the lived experiences of married working mothers in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic brought widespread changes to daily life, including shifts in work arrangements and access to child care, affecting families around the world. In Saudi Arabia, these disruptions highlighted the challenges faced by working mothers, particularly in how traditional gender expectations may have shaped their experiences during lockdowns. Using a symbolic interactionist lens, these challenges can be seen as shaped by evolving meanings of work, caregiving, and gender roles within daily family interactions.
Method
Interpretive phenomenology was used to analyze the data from semistructured interviews with nine married Saudi women who were employed.
Results
Mothers spent more time in wage employment and in domestic labor than before COVID-19 lockdown as they prioritized their family’s needs. Participants were (a) facing greater stressors and strains due to the pandemic, (b) doing more household and caregiving demands, and (c) coping with demands and seeking balance between work and family. Working mothers lost help from traditional sources of household assistance, and husbands generally did not provide help.
Implications.
Working mothers faced more demands on their time and energy and received less help during the COVID-19 lockdown, largely in part because they, their partners, and other potential sources of aid internalized the gendered norms of the larger social system.
Conclusion
This study highlights how the pandemic increased stress for working mothers and explores ways to better support them.