Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/supporting-our-teams-addressing-intersectionality-in-ece/5025910/
Stress is a common factor for many of us in our daily lives. Sources of stress can range from health or family-related concerns to worry about job or housing security. Having to cope with small amounts of stress is generally expected in life, and there are many ways to do this: taking time to disconnect from technology, taking leisurely trips or participating in enjoyable activities and hobbies. However, in the last year, the world has been turned upside down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, creating another source of stress that affects many areas of life. Not only are people experiencing the pandemic’s impacts on their finances, but many are also overwhelmed by the isolation from those closest to them, and the disconnection from many of the methods we were once able to harness to cope with life’s stressors.
The child care industry has been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. This industry’s workforce is made up primarily of women from marginalized communities, who experience regular inequity due to gender-based wage gaps, systemic oppression, and a lack of professional respect for the field. This occurrence is known as “intersectionality,” in which various systems or categories of discrimination, disadvantage and oppression overlap for individuals or ...