Labor, Health, Family and Gender of the Women in Intimate Labor During the COVID 19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected women’s working and family lives, particularly those engaged in occupations involving close interpersonal contact, care, and bodily or emotional services. Such occupations can be understood through the concept of “intimate labor,” which highlights forms of work involving physical proximity, interpersonal interaction, care, and emotional engagement. These occupations are also highly gendered and reflect the broader feminization of labor. This study examines the multifaceted impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on women engaged in intimate labor, focusing on the interrelated dimensions of labor, health, gender, and family. It also explores how women’s social positions and family living arrangements shaped their experiences and responsibilities during the pandemic.
Methods: The study employed a mixed-methods approach combining survey research and qualitative interviews. It focused on four occupational groups of women working in Bangkok and its surrounding metropolitan areas. Two groups, nurses and hotel receptionists, represented workers in the formal labor sector, while masseuses/spa workers and hairdressers represented workers in the informal labor sector. The concepts of intimate labor and the feminization of labor were employed as the theoretical framework for examining and interpreting women’s experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis considered the interconnected effects of the pandemic on employment and income, physical and mental health, household responsibilities, and family relationships.
Results: The findings reveal that the COVID-19 pandemic substantially affected women engaged in intimate labor, although the extent and nature of these impacts varied across occupational groups and social positions. Economic consequences were particularly pronounced among masseuses/spa workers and hairdressers in the informal labor sector, whose income and employment opportunities were more vulnerable to pandemic-related restrictions. Women across occupational groups also encountered physical and mental health risks associated with their work and the broader conditions of the pandemic. In terms of gender and family relations, women experienced increased household responsibilities and, in some cases, greater family tensions. These pressures contributed to serious relationship difficulties for some participants, including divorce or separation. Women’s experiences were further shaped by their family living arrangements and social positions, including marital status, economic status, age, and motherhood.
Application of this study: The findings can contribute to the development of labor and social protection policies that recognize the specific vulnerabilities of women engaged in intimate labor, particularly informal workers whose employment and income may be highly sensitive to public health emergencies. The study also highlights the importance of integrating gender and family dimensions into crisis-response policies rather than considering employment, health, and household responsibilities as separate issues.
Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic affected women engaged in intimate labor through interconnected economic, health, gender, and family dimensions. Its impacts extended beyond employment and income to women’s physical and mental well-being, household responsibilities, and family relationships. Family living arrangements and women’s social positions played an important role in shaping these experiences. Understanding these intersecting dimensions is therefore essential for developing more gender-sensitive and inclusive labor and social policies during future public health crises.