Shaping The Path For Working Women Post-COVID

On 20 April 2021, Finnegan's London office hosted a virtual brainstorming event for senior women in the IP profession looking at next steps as we head out of lockdown.

It is difficult to argue that the pandemic has been anything other than disastrous for most working women. Alongside increases in caring responsibilities, women have also suffered more from the remote working environment, reporting higher levels of anxiety and burnout. New research from the University of Stanford even suggests that “Zoom fatigue” is worse for women than men (see here).

As a result, we are experiencing a so-called “she-cession” - a recession that disproportionately affects women. One study in the US by the National Women's Law Center has found that 2.3 million women have left the workforce during the pandemic, compared with 1.8 million men. A study in the UK by the Women's Budget Group found that, by June 2020 - barely 3 months into lockdown - only 48% of working women were still