“I Feel Like a Lot of Times Women Are the Ones Who Are Problem-Solving for All the People That They Know”: The Gendered Impacts of the Pandemic on Women in Alaska

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic recovery in urban communities in the Arctic have been substantial, but their gendered aspects remain largely unknown. The goal of this study was to enhance the understanding of the gender-based impact on women in the urban areas of Alaska by exploring strengths and constraints to resilience in the social and economic domains of gender equality during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on grounded theory methodology, this study is based on 29 in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The study methodology utilized a conceptual framework that integrated deficit-based and strength-based analytical perspectives. The paper implemented a voice-centered approach that drew on thematic interviews conducted with women in Anchorage and Nome. Alaska’s urban women demonstrated resilience rooted in self-empowerment and community caregiving. This was reflected in their critical re-evaluation of social and economic gendered structures, a reassessment of priorities in family and social relationships, and the mobilization of support networks. These acts of reflection and care transformed into processes of constructing new meanings of life during dramatic events and became a source of personal strength. The crisis also enabled a re-evaluation of entrenched gender dynamics and women’s ability to challenge gendered divisions in both the workplace and at home. Despite signs of resilience, the pandemic signified a setback for gender equality. It exacerbated pre-existing gender disparities within households, disrupted established pre-pandemic social support networks, increased unpaid domestic labor and a motherhood penalty, and deepened unemployment and income gaps. To further adapt to post-pandemic conditions, women need empowerment and greater representation in decision-making roles, which are critical to strengthening resilience in both the social and economic domains of gender equality.