The Canadian Anthropology Society (CASCA) recognizes that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is having disproportionate consequences for members of our community who are most affected by pre-existing inequalities in academia. The rapid shift to virtual teaching and the loss of access to research resources and facilities, as well as to associated funding, have caused major stress for many of us, particularly early-career researchers, precariously employed staff, and members of underrepresented groups. This has been followed by a well-documented reorganization of the division of domestic tasks, childcare and eldercare, and other responsibilities — a reorganization that often substantially reduces the time some members, especially women, can devote to their academic work (Malisch et al. 2020). Consequently, a decline in publications by women has been reported (Flaherty 2020; Viglione 2020). This is just one of many examples showing how COVID-19 can exacerbate privileges and inequalities that exist in academia. We fear that women and others are now experiencing additional forms of systemic oppression and marginalization and are shouldering a heavy burden during this health crisis. We recognize that this additional weight and stress can adversely affect the assessment of their merit as well as tenure and promotion processes and outcomes. That is why we encourage committees to take into account the real and unequal impacts of COVID-19 on the professional advancement of women in higher education, particularly with regard to intersectional identities and the known structural barriers and biases in career development. We recommend that committee members review the criteria of their department or institution regarding tenure and promotion, consulting the recommendations and examples of pragmatic support measures implemented in response to the pandemic (Malisch et al. 2020) while continuing to aim for improved equity and diversity within their workplaces. We promote the search for creative solutions to assist community members during this time, and to lighten any non-urgent responsibilities where possible. Recognition of the context and dynamics that exist within cultures and communities is a crucial element in our research and teaching practices. It goes without saying that our members deserve this same recognition.

References

Amano-Patiño,N., E. Faraglia, C. Giannitsarou, Z. Hasna. 2020. Who is doing new research in the time of COVID-19? Not the female economists. https://voxeu.org/article/who-doing-new- research-time-covid-19-not-female-economists.

Flaherty, C. 2020. No room of one’s own. (April 21, 2020). https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/04/21/early-journal-submission-data-suggestcovid-19-tanking-womens-research-productivity.

Malisch, J.L., Harris, B.N., Sherrer, S.M., Lewis, K.A., Shepherd, S.L., McCarthy, P.C., Spott, J.L., Karam, E.P., Moustaid-Moussa, N., Calarco, J.M. and Ramalingam, L., 2020. "Opinion: In the wake of COVID-19, academia needs new solutions to ensure gender equity", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(27), pp.15378-15381.

Viglione, G., 2020. "Are women publishing less during the pandemic? Here’s what the data say", Nature, 581(7809), pp.365-366.

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