WELLINGTON, April 5 (Xinhua) -- A New Zealand research released on Friday shed light on the everyday and exceptional challenges for mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Researchers from the University of Waikato drew upon interviews with 24 mothers living in New Zealand during the pandemic, including women who were pregnant and gave birth during lockdowns, teenage mothers, single and low-income mothers, and working mothers.

The sample was intentionally diverse, including Maori, Pacific, Asian and migrant mothers.

The research paper, published in Frontiers in Sociology, acknowledges the multiplicities of motherhood during this prolonged period of risk, disruption, and uncertainty, said the paper, with the summary highlighting the quotation, "It made me feel like a shit parent."

Engaging an intersectional lens on motherhood and women's health, this paper builds upon and extends feminist research on mothers' experiences during the pandemic, highlighting the many different challenges facing mothers of diverse social, cultural, and economic positionalities and during various stages of motherhood, according to the research summary.

The research reveals the significant emotional toll on mothers, particularly with the absence of critical social, medical and health support systems during lockdown periods and sustained social restrictions. Many of the women described how the pandemic affected their feelings about motherhood.

The pandemic experiences of Maori, Pacific, migrant and single mothers were further intensified by various forms of isolation, judgement, and discrimination, it said. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)