Social Problems of Iran

Qualitative Evaluation of Women’s Problems and Life Challenges during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author

Zahra Mirhossieni

Assistant Professor, Department of Women and Family Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences and Economics, Al-Zahra University, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.52547/jspi.12.1.197
Abstract
The current paper is the product of a qualitative research performed in order to explore the problems and life challenges of women during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data in this study were collected through semi-structured qualitative interviews with 21 women living in Tehran City, aged between 20 and 61 years. Then, the collected data were analyzed using the Colaizzi’s (1978) method of data analysis. The results of the study show that the problems and life challenges of women can be classified into four main categories, i.e., interrupted life; challenges based on health and hygiene; intensified control over and supervision of the everyday life of women; and occupational challenges and housework, and eight secondary categories, i.e., suspending the normal flow of life; constant fear and stress; helplessness and frustration in the absence of educational centers and service organizations; increased caring responsibilities and the feeling of being neglected; lack of control over one’s own body and maintaining its health; interferences with the affairs of women and losing the feminine realm; reduced space and privacy; returning to traditional housekeeping roles; and transferring occupational responsibilities to home. Overall, the findings of the study show that the COVID-19 pandemic has had consequences and outcomes for women’s lives that not only create numerous challenges and problems for their current life, but they can also have long-lasting effects that may remain long after the pandemic. It should be noted that due to the qualitative nature of the current study, the author does not intend to generalize its results.




Keywords

Qualitative study
Women
COVID-19
Social issues
Economic problems
آبوت، پاملا ؛ والاس، کلر (1991). جامعه شناسی زنان. ترجمه: منیژه نجم عراقی (1385). تهران: نشر نی.
آبوت، پاملا ؛ والاس، کلر (1991). جامعه شناسی زنان. ترجمه: منیژه نجم عراقی (1385). تهران: نشر نی.
احمدراد, فرید (1399). ابعاد روان‌شناختی بحران کرونا و شیوه‌های آموزشی کاهش آن. فصلنامه روان شناسی تربیتی، دوره 16، شماره55 : صفحه 27-54.
احمدراد, فرید (1399). ابعاد روان‌شناختی بحران کرونا و شیوه‌های آموزشی کاهش آن. فصلنامه روان شناسی تربیتی، دوره 16، شماره55 : صفحه 27-54.
علی اکبری، مهناز؛ عیسی زاده، فاطمه و آقاجانیلو، سوسن (1399). پیامدهای روانی اجتماعی مبتلایان به بیماری کرونا ویروس جدید (کووید-19) یک مطالعه کیفی. مجله ایرانی روانشناسی سلامت، دوره 2، شماره 2: صفحه9-20.
علی اکبری، مهناز؛ عیسی زاده، فاطمه و آقاجانیلو، سوسن (1399). پیامدهای روانی اجتماعی مبتلایان به بیماری کرونا ویروس جدید (کووید-19) یک مطالعه کیفی. مجله ایرانی روانشناسی سلامت، دوره 2، شماره 2: صفحه9-20.
کرسول، جان (2007). پویش کیفی و طرح پژوهش انتخاب از میان پنج رویکرد. ترجمه: حسن دانایی فرد و حسین کاظمی (1394). تهران: انتشارات صفار.
کرسول، جان (2007). پویش کیفی و طرح پژوهش انتخاب از میان پنج رویکرد. ترجمه: حسن دانایی فرد و حسین کاظمی (1394). تهران: انتشارات صفار.
فلیک، اووه (2006). درآمدی بر تحقیق کیفی. ترجمه: هادی جلیلی (1391). تهران: نشر نی.
فلیک، اووه (2006). درآمدی بر تحقیق کیفی. ترجمه: هادی جلیلی (1391). تهران: نشر نی.
لئون گوررو، آنا (2006). مسائل اجتماعی، اجتماع، سیاست و کنش اجتماعی ریشه های نابرابری»،.ترجمه: امیر خرمی (1398). تهران: انتشارات اندیشه احسان.
لئون گوررو، آنا (2006). مسائل اجتماعی، اجتماع، سیاست و کنش اجتماعی ریشه های نابرابری»،.ترجمه: امیر خرمی (1398). تهران: انتشارات اندیشه احسان.
مسعودنیا، ابراهیم (1396). جامعه شناسی پژشکی. تهران: انتشارات دانشگاه تهران.
مسعودنیا، ابراهیم (1396). جامعه شناسی پژشکی. تهران: انتشارات دانشگاه تهران.
میرزانیا، امیر و فیروزی، منیژه (1399). زمینه سازی برای افزایش خشونت خانگی علیه زنان: مطالعه مروری نظامند. رویش روانشناسی. سال9، شماره9، پیاپی 54: صفحه 205-215.
میرزانیا، امیر و فیروزی، منیژه (1399). زمینه سازی برای افزایش خشونت خانگی علیه زنان: مطالعه مروری نظامند. رویش روانشناسی. سال9، شماره9، پیاپی 54: صفحه 205-215.
Alon, T. M., Doepke, M., Olmstead-Rumsey, J., & Tertilt, M. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on gender equality (No. w26947). National Bureau of Economic Research. [DOI:10.3386/w26947]
Alon, T. M., Doepke, M., Olmstead-Rumsey, J., & Tertilt, M. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on gender equality (No. w26947). National Bureau of Economic Research. [DOI:10.3386/w26947]
Baldwin, R., & Weder di Mauro, B. (2020). Economics in the Time of COVID-19.
Baldwin, R., & Weder di Mauro, B. (2020). Economics in the Time of COVID-19.
Fisher, J. R., Tran, T. D., Hammargerg, K., Sastry, J., Nguyen, H., Rowe, H., ... & Kirkman, M. (2020). Mental health of people in Australia in the first month of COVID-19 restrictions: a national survey. The Medical Journal of Australia, 1. [DOI:10.5694/mja2.50831]
Fisher, J. R., Tran, T. D., Hammargerg, K., Sastry, J., Nguyen, H., Rowe, H., ... & Kirkman, M. (2020). Mental health of people in Australia in the first month of COVID-19 restrictions: a national survey. The Medical Journal of Australia, 1. [DOI:10.5694/mja2.50831]
Fuchs, C. (2020). Everyday life and everyday communication in coronavirus capitalism. tripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique. Open Access Journal for a Global Sustainable Information Society, 18(1), 375-399. [DOI:10.31269/triplec.v18i1.1167]
Fuchs, C. (2020). Everyday life and everyday communication in coronavirus capitalism. tripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique. Open Access Journal for a Global Sustainable Information Society, 18(1), 375-399. [DOI:10.31269/triplec.v18i1.1167]
Enarson, E., & Morrow, B. H. (1998). The gendered terrain of disaster. Westport, CT.
Enarson, E., & Morrow, B. H. (1998). The gendered terrain of disaster. Westport, CT.
Kwaghe, A. V., Ilesanmi, O. S., Amede, P. O., Okediran, J. O., Utulu, R., & Balogun, M. S. (2020). Stigmatization, psychological and emotional trauma among frontline health care workers treated for COVID-19 in Lagos State, Nigeria: A qualitative study. https://europepmc.org/article/ppr/ppr212171. [DOI:10.21203/rs.3.rs-53453/v1]
Kwaghe, A. V., Ilesanmi, O. S., Amede, P. O., Okediran, J. O., Utulu, R., & Balogun, M. S. (2020). Stigmatization, psychological and emotional trauma among frontline health care workers treated for COVID-19 in Lagos State, Nigeria: A qualitative study. https://europepmc.org/article/ppr/ppr212171. [DOI:10.21203/rs.3.rs-53453/v1]
Lau, H., Khosrawipour, V., Kocbach, P., Mikolajczyk, A., Schubert, J., Bania, J., & Khosrawipour, T. (2020). The positive impact of lockdown in Wuhan on containing the COVID-19 outbreak in China. Journal of travel medicine, 27(3), taaa037. [DOI:10.1093/jtm/taaa037]
Lau, H., Khosrawipour, V., Kocbach, P., Mikolajczyk, A., Schubert, J., Bania, J., & Khosrawipour, T. (2020). The positive impact of lockdown in Wuhan on containing the COVID-19 outbreak in China. Journal of travel medicine, 27(3), taaa037. [DOI:10.1093/jtm/taaa037]
Liang, W., Liang, H., Ou, L., Chen, B., Chen, A., Li, C., ... & Xu, Y. (2020). Development and validation of a clinical risk score to predict the occurrence of critical illness in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. JAMA Internal Medicine. [DOI:10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.2033]
Liang, W., Liang, H., Ou, L., Chen, B., Chen, A., Li, C., ... & Xu, Y. (2020). Development and validation of a clinical risk score to predict the occurrence of critical illness in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. JAMA Internal Medicine. [DOI:10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.2033]
Marger, M. (2013). Social inequality: Patterns and processes. McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
Marger, M. (2013). Social inequality: Patterns and processes. McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
McLaren, H. J., Wong, K. R., Nguyen, K. N., & Mahamadachchi, K. N. D. (2020). Covid-19 and Women's Triple Burden: Vignettes from Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Vietnam and Australia. Social Sciences, 9(5), 87. [DOI:10.3390/socsci9050087]
McLaren, H. J., Wong, K. R., Nguyen, K. N., & Mahamadachchi, K. N. D. (2020). Covid-19 and Women's Triple Burden: Vignettes from Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Vietnam and Australia. Social Sciences, 9(5), 87. [DOI:10.3390/socsci9050087]
Moreira da Silva, J. (2019). Why you should care about unpaid care work.
Moreira da Silva, J. (2019). Why you should care about unpaid care work.
Nicola, M., Alsafi, Z., Sohrabi, C., Kerwan, A., Al-Jabir, A., Iosifidis, C., ... & Agha, R. (2020). The socio-economic implications of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19): A review. International journal of surgery (London, England), 78, 185. [DOI:10.1016/j.ijsu.2020.04.018]
Nicola, M., Alsafi, Z., Sohrabi, C., Kerwan, A., Al-Jabir, A., Iosifidis, C., ... & Agha, R. (2020). The socio-economic implications of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19): A review. International journal of surgery (London, England), 78, 185. [DOI:10.1016/j.ijsu.2020.04.018]
Pfefferbaum, B., & North, C. S. (2020). Mental health and the Covid-19 pandemic. New England Journal of Medicine. [DOI:10.1056/NEJMp2008017]
Pfefferbaum, B., & North, C. S. (2020). Mental health and the Covid-19 pandemic. New England Journal of Medicine. [DOI:10.1056/NEJMp2008017]
Power, K. (2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the care burden of women and families. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 16(1), 67-73. [DOI:10.1080/15487733.2020.1776561]
Power, K. (2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the care burden of women and families. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 16(1), 67-73. [DOI:10.1080/15487733.2020.1776561]
Reeves, J. J., Hollandsworth, H. M., Torriani, F. J., Taplitz, R., Abeles, S., Tai-Seale, M., ... & Longhurst, C. A. (2020). Rapid response to COVID-19: health informatics support for outbreak management in an academic health system. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 27(6), 853-859. [DOI:10.1093/jamia/ocaa037]
Reeves, J. J., Hollandsworth, H. M., Torriani, F. J., Taplitz, R., Abeles, S., Tai-Seale, M., ... & Longhurst, C. A. (2020). Rapid response to COVID-19: health informatics support for outbreak management in an academic health system. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 27(6), 853-859. [DOI:10.1093/jamia/ocaa037]
Rubin, G. J., & Wessely, S. (2020). The psychological effects of quarantining a city. Bmj, 368. [DOI:10.1136/bmj.m313]
Rubin, G. J., & Wessely, S. (2020). The psychological effects of quarantining a city. Bmj, 368. [DOI:10.1136/bmj.m313]
Rossi, R., Socci, V., Talevi, D., Mensi, S., Niolu, C., Pacitti, F., ... & Di Lorenzo, G. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures impact on mental health among the general population in Italy. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, 790. [DOI:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00790]
Rossi, R., Socci, V., Talevi, D., Mensi, S., Niolu, C., Pacitti, F., ... & Di Lorenzo, G. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures impact on mental health among the general population in Italy. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, 790. [DOI:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00790]
Sharma, A., & Borah, S. B. (2020). Covid-19 and domestic violence: an indirect path to social and economic crisis. Journal of family violence, 1-7. [DOI:10.1007/s10896-020-00188-8]
Sharma, A., & Borah, S. B. (2020). Covid-19 and domestic violence: an indirect path to social and economic crisis. Journal of family violence, 1-7. [DOI:10.1007/s10896-020-00188-8]
Van Gelder, N., Peterman, A., Potts, A., O' Donnell, M., Thompson, K., Shah, N., & Oertelt-Prigione, S. (2020). COVID-19: Reducing the risk of infection might increase the risk of intimate partner violence. EClinicalMedicine, 21. [DOI:10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100348]
Van Gelder, N., Peterman, A., Potts, A., O' Donnell, M., Thompson, K., Shah, N., & Oertelt-Prigione, S. (2020). COVID-19: Reducing the risk of infection might increase the risk of intimate partner violence. EClinicalMedicine, 21. [DOI:10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100348]

  • Receive Date 08 June 2026
  • Publish Date 08 June 2026