Pandemic ‘shecession’: Advertising industry grapples with women’s work-life balance

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Jen DaSilva has wanted to scream. 

Throw into the mix moving across the country during a global pandemic, and it’s enough to make anyone want to scream. 

“In some ways, being able to be here with them full time has been really nice and then also so challenging,” DaSilva said from her home in Los Angeles. “All of that, you want to go crazy sometimes.”

DaSilva isn’t alone. A year into the pandemic lockdown and remote work, kitchen tables became home offices and kids have become co-workers. The lines between work and home have blurred. Meanwhile, the lines in housework and gender roles have become glaring and women in the advertising and marketing industry are struggling to strike a balance.

Last year, numerous outlets such as NPR and BuzzFeed, published reports that shed light on the inequality in household work leading to a so-called “shecession” — reportedly the first ever economic recession impacting more women than men.