International Journal of Gender & Women's Studies

The Impact of Remote Work on Women’s Work-life Balance and Gender-role Attitudes in Saudi Arabia
Abeer Kamel Saad Alfarran

Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of remotework patterns caused by COVID-19 on women‟s work-life balance and gender-role attitudes in Saudi Arabia. Aqualitative approach employed12in-depth, semi-structured interviews with married Saudi workingwomen in the public education sector.Key findings were identified through thematic analysis. First, the flexibility of remote work pushed married Saudi working women to managea greaterburden of household and family demands to complywith their traditional gender role. Second, marriedSaudi working women considered household helpers and/or the flexibility of remote work as the main solutions to balance their personal and professional lives.Finally, remote work has not changed gender-role attitudes;Saudi women are behaving in accordance with their feminine role and cultural acceptance; andSaudi men offer either modest help or non-cooperation regarding domestic roles.The study was exploratory with a small sample size in the education sector, so the findings cannot be generalised. This study generates new insights into the theoretical lens of institutionaltheory regarding the challenges and opportunitiesof remote work on Saudi women‟s work-life balance and gender-role attitudes in highly normative societies such as Saudi Arabia.

Full Text: PDF      DOI: 10.15640/ijgws.v9n2a2