Assessing the role of the pandemic on workload of female assistant professors in higher education

This study explores how the COVID-19 pandemic intensified gender disparities in academia, particularly for female assistant professors who are also mothers. Through qualitative and quantitative methods, and using non-probability and snowball sampling, it examines workload changes, teaching adaptations, and reliance on institutional support. Data on work hours before and during the pandemic highlight increased domestic responsibilities, childcare, and eldercare, which disproportionately affected these women. The shift to remote work further blurred work-life boundaries, amplifying stress and workload. Findings reveal a significant gender imbalance in household duties, impacting career progression. The study emphasises the urgent need for higher education institutions to implement flexible and supportive policies that promote gender equity and mitigate the long-term effects of such crises on female faculty.