A Woman's Work? The Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic on the Employment and Retirement of Women in the Third Age

This project explores several aspects of the Civil Society, Development and
Democracy (CDD) Pathway's grand challenges, focusing on gendered
experiences of the structural powers and governance of society, and the
impact of inequalities among women in the Third Age. Furthermore,
financialization plays a fundamental role in policy developments, including
pensions, with implications for quality of life in retirement. It also affects the
distribution of resources, levels of responsibility and financial security. As
such, it impacts on work and retirement opportunities and decisions. It is
important to further understand how life course experiences shape
gendered experiences in the Third age, especially in the context of
government responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Pathway notes that
we live in an era of fundamental structural change, impacted by the
pandemic. It also indicates the importance of understanding forms of
governance, and how citizenship is exercised. These aspects are central to
this research which considers access to (and forms of) welfare provision
(and entitlement), in addition to the impact of the changing nature and
organisation of employment in the Third Age. In doing so, it focuses on
gendered inequalities within society in opportunities to extend working
lives, transitions to retirement and pension contributions.