New NHPR Series Features Stories of Six New Hampshire Women, Shines Light on Common Challenges Faced During the Pandemic
New Hampshire Public Radio’s news team takes a look into how the past 15 months have affected women’s lives through a series of interviews and personal stories with women from different backgrounds, ages and experiences. Listeners will hear from six different New Hampshire women about how the pandemic has impacted them - from their work, their family obligations, to their day-to-day lives.
The pandemic has hit women – and women of color in particular – disproportionally hard. Studies show that more women are leaving the workforce compared to men, and are more likely to work in career fields hard-hit by the pandemic, such as retail, tourism, and hospitality. Women are also taking on the responsibility of more unpaid labor in this pandemic than they already did under ‘normal’ conditions, from remote schooling of their children, to caring for elderly parents, to community service.
As the pandemic emergency begins to fade, how will its impacts continue to be felt in women’s lives? Who can and can’t easily bounce back? These are some of the questions that will be explored. Alli Fam, the station’s health and equity reporter, is working closely with NHPR’s Morning Edition team on the series.
“We know that women have been disproportionately impacted by this pandemic. It’s also become increasingly clear how so much of the way our economy is structured, doesn’t support women,” said Fam. “As the pandemic fades, I want to make sure that we don’t stop tracking that. And for me, part of the way to track that is by following the deeply personal and intimate ways in which women balance all of their obligations, the ones categorized as ‘work’, but also, all the other labor they take on, inside and outside of their jobs.”
Cori Princell, NHPR’s Managing Editor, expects the series will resonate with listeners across the state.
“We’ve all felt this pandemic personally, but with the social isolation many of us have been dealing with, those impacts, many of which are happening in our homes, can feel hidden. I think many listeners will hear parts of their own experiences in these stories.”
Tune in to NHPR on six consecutive Thursdays beginning June 17, to hear stories from the six women. The interviews will air during Morning Edition on NHPR from 5 to 9 a.m., and will conclude on July 22.
The stories on NHPR.org will link to an audience survey where the NHPR newsroom will ask people to share their experiences with the challenges of the pandemic and caregiving; some of those responses may be posted online and in NHPR’s newsletters. Visit here for survey updates.
Beyond the initial airing of these features on the six women, the project may include further reporting and follow-up with some of the women featured in the series to see how their lives evolve as the pandemic shifts and we gradually return to “normal” living.
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About NHPR
Since 1981, New Hampshire Public Radio has shaped the media landscape in the Granite State and beyond. Our mission is “Expanding minds, sparking connections, building stronger communities.” NHPR is broadcast from 14 different sites, making it by far New Hampshire’s largest (and only) statewide radio news service. Every week, NHPR is the choice of 152,000 listeners as a primary source of in-depth and intelligent news coverage and enlightening programming. Thousands more view NHPR.org, follow our social media sites, stream our service online, or listen to our podcasts. Each day, New Hampshire Public Radio delivers several hours of local news reported by its award-winning news team. Locally produced programs and podcasts include The Exchange, The Folk Show, Outside/In, and Civics 101, among others. NHPR is the exclusive outlet for NPR News in the Granite State and broadcasts national weekly programs such as The Moth Radio Hour, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, and This American Life. Visit nhpr.org to access our news and information.
