Impact of COVID-19 on gender
equality in research and
academia

Survey on
Working academic
conditions, academic time
usage perception and
academic performance
during the Covid-19 lock-
down
María Bustelo, Paula de Dios & Lorena Pajares
(UCM SUPERA team)
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No. 787829.

Survey on Working academic conditions, academic time usage
perception and academic performance during the Covid-19 lock-down
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme
under grant agreement No. 787829.
Population UCM Academic & Research Staff
6.179 (100%) 3.222 men (52,14%) 2.957 women (47,86%)
Date June 18 - July 8 2020
Type of Survey
and distribution
Online Questionnaire, distributed by email.
Sent by each Dean Office to Staff Emails(26 Faculties) and
promoted at each faculty by the Gender Focal point of the
SUPERA project
Responses 1.531 responses (24.78%)
Difference
between
population and
responses
Slight differences that were statistically weighinged (lower
participation from men)

Survey on Working academic conditions, academic time usage
perception and academic performance during the Covid-19 lock-down
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme
under grant agreement No. 787829.
Working conditions
Have a room of her/his own where to
work:
Have a good computer equipment:

Survey on Working academic conditions, academic time usage
perception and academic performance during the Covid-19 lock-down
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme
under grant agreement No. 787829.
Working conditions
Have felt sadness, preoccupation, anxiety and stress, feeling overwhelmed, and of
losing control:
Men
Women
A lot / Extremely
A little / Nothing at all
A lot / Extremely
A little / Nothing at all

Survey on Working academic conditions, academic time usage
perception and academic performance during the Covid-19 lock-down
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme
under grant agreement No. 787829.
Time usage perception: dedication to housework (during lock-down)
Men
Women

Survey on Working academic conditions, academic time usage
perception and academic performance during the Covid-19 lock-down
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme
under grant agreement No. 787829.
Time usage perception: dedication to academic work
Before lockdown female
claimed to devote
slightly less weekly time
than men to academic
work.
But during lockdown
figures reverse*
* This reported weekly time is the general mean, taking into account that part-time faculty staff was also
included. Figures of weekly time reported by full-time Faculty staff were all over 40 hrs per week

Survey on Working academic conditions, academic time usage
perception and academic performance during the Covid-19 lock-down
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme
under grant agreement No. 787829.
Time usage perception: dedication to academic work
Before lockdown During lockdown

Survey on Working academic conditions, academic time usage
perception and academic performance during the Covid-19 lock-down
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme
under grant agreement No. 787829.
I have often worked
at unusual time
(night/weekends)
It has often been
difficult to work
without
interruptions
Concentrating on
work helped me
deal with the
situation
Men
Women
Very/totally agree
Barely/Not agree
Very/totally agree
Barely/Not agree
Academic performance & Satisfaction at work

Survey on Working academic conditions, academic time usage
perception and academic performance during the Covid-19 lock-down
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme
under grant agreement No. 787829.
Academic performance & Satisfaction at work
I have taken the opportunity to catch up on delayed issues

Survey on Working academic conditions, academic time usage
perception and academic performance during the Covid-19 lock-down
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme
under grant agreement No. 787829.
Men
Women
Totally affected
Not at all
Totally affected
Not at all
Academic performance & Satisfaction at work:
Circumstances affecting academic work

Survey on Working academic conditions, academic time usage
perception and academic performance during the Covid-19 lock-down
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme
under grant agreement No. 787829.
Academic performance & Satisfaction at work:
Academic production before the pandemic (2019)

Survey on Working academic conditions, academic time usage
perception and academic performance during the Covid-19 lock-down
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme
under grant agreement No. 787829.
Academic performance & Satisfaction at work:
Academic production during the pandemic and lockdown

Survey on Working academic conditions, academic time usage
perception and academic performance during the Covid-19 lock-down
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme
under grant agreement No. 787829.
Summary of results UCM
In general female faculty staff
have experienced a much harder time
during the lockdown
than their male colleagues
➔ worse working conditions
➔ increased time both domestic & caring and academic work
➔ gender roles confirmed and aggravated during lockdown
○ women teaching and management
○ men research and publishing
➔ this has consequences in academic performance

Survey on Working academic conditions, academic time usage
perception and academic performance during the Covid-19 lock-down
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme
under grant agreement No. 787829.
@SUPERAproject
@SUPERA_UCM
https://www.superaproject.eu/
https://www.ucm.es/supera
THANK YOU!
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation
programme under grant agreement No. 787829.
María Bustelo, Paula de Dios and Lorena Pajares.
October 2020