Conscripted to Care: Women on the Frontlines of the COVID-19 Response

The COVID-19 response was gendered, with women facing the worst effects and inequities. Julia Smith's book Conscripted to Care documents their contributions and sacrifices, revealing structural inequality and inadequate resources. Women shouldered the triple burden of paid work, unpaid care, and mental load, with increased emotional labor. The book offers lessons for public health and policy.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 31 October 2023
Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press

The COVID-19 response was distinctly gendered, with the vast majority of healthcare and social workers identifying as women. In Conscripted to Care, Julia Smith introduces us to the women who faced the worst effects of the pandemic and the inequities it exposed. Through clear prose and fascinating critical analysis, she documents their largely unseen contributions and sacrifices, both professional and domestic. Drawing on interviews and focus groups with nearly two hundred women from a range of backgrounds and occupations, Smith reveals how structural inequality put women on the frontlines of the pandemic response, yet with inadequate resources and little voice in decision-making. Women shouldered not only the triple burden of paid work, unpaid care, and mental load, but also increased emotional labor. While some women were categorized as "essential," others remained in the shadows. All faced unsustainable workloads, moral distress, and burnout while continuing to demand better services for those in their care.

An analysis of Canada's COVID-19 response from the perspective of those who staffed it, Conscripted to Care presents crucial lessons for those interested in public health and how it relates to gender and economic equality, as well as public policy.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780228018759