Lost or Relinquished Opportunities: Career Advancement Challenges for Women During the Pandemic

Research has found that women have been even more negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-2021 than men. To better understand Utah women’s experiences, Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) researchers conducted an extensive, in-depth survey focusing on the impacts of COVID-19 on women and work. A major theme regarding career advancements during the pandemic uncovered in the study emphasized women who had lost work, pay, or their business, or had sacrificed opportunities to advance their career. In some cases, this was because of the precarious economy. For others, increased responsibility at home meant less time and bandwidth for new responsibilities, opportunities, and expectations