Analysing the impact of COVID-19 on the mothers of Bangladesh: hearing the unheard

Ehsan, Shah Md. Azimul; Jahan, Fairooz

AIM: The purpose of this empirical study was to understand, explore and analyse how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mothers of our society, with particular emphasis on Bangladesh, which has so far been a relatively unexplored area. SUBJECT AND METHODS: The study adopted qualitative and interpretative methods of social research, including content analysis and a perception study of 223 respondents through a semi-structured questionnaire survey, who were selected using purposive random sampling. The data obtained from the perception study was further complemented through phone interviews. RESULTS: The study found that the pandemic has not affected all mothers uniformly; rather, the intensity of its impact varied depending on factors such as the occupation of mothers and their husbands and their family pattern. Despite such variation, all mothers experienced a subsequent increase in workload, challenges while availing routine health facilities and higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression and certain behavioural changes. CONCLUSION: However, the worst affected have been the mothers belonging to the lower socio-economic strata because the pandemic has made them and their husbands jobless, leading them towards an uncertain future.