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Worked over by pandemic, these women reach for recovery
Most accounts of the pandemic鈥檚 effect on women focus on career losses and the depth of the setback. Our new podcast centers on stories of resilience, reinvention, and hope.
|LAS VEGAS
The American workforce 鈥� like most around the world 鈥� was hit hard by the pandemic. But more than any other demographic, women bore the brunt of the losses. Not only were professional women set back, 30 years by some estimates, but they were also leaned on heavily to figure out the chaos of pandemic life for everyone.
In our new podcast, 鈥淪tronger,鈥� reporters Jessica Mendoza and Samantha Laine Perfas follow six women in Las Vegas, one of the hardest hit economies in the country. Each woman shares her unique pandemic story, covering everything from job loss, burnout, and Zoom fatigue to the strength, resilience, and hope that keep them moving forward. In many ways, they hope that what they鈥檝e learned during this time can be a lesson for all of us.
鈥淪ome things do really need to change,鈥� says Yarleny Roa-Dugan, a labor and delivery nurse featured in the series.
Mariza Rocha, a utility porter at The STRAT Hotel and Casino, adds: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want it to be normal. I want it to be better than before.鈥�
This is a trailer for our podcast 鈥淪tronger,鈥� which highlights what women have lost to this pandemic and how they鈥檙e winning it back. To learn more about the podcast and find other episodes, please visit our page.
Episode transcript
Samantha Laine Perfas: Hey everyone, welcome to another episode of 鈥淩ethinking the News.鈥� I鈥檓 Samantha Laine Perfas.
Jessica Mendoza: And I鈥檓 Jessica Mendoza. Today, we鈥檙e super excited to announce a new podcast from 海角大神. It鈥檚 called 鈥淪tronger.鈥�
Laine Perfas: As you know, in 鈥淩ethinking the News鈥� we take a look at news items big and small and consider how they might change the way we think about the world. Our podcast, 鈥淪tronger,鈥� does just that, by looking at the effects of the pandemic on women and work.
Mendoza: Most stories about women throughout the pandemic have been about job losses, the pressures of being a mom, and generally how bad it鈥檚 been. In 鈥淪tronger鈥� we decided to focus on stories of resilience, reinvention, and hope.
Laine Perfas: We hope you鈥檒l take a listen. We鈥檒l be publishing all six episodes of the series right here on 鈥淩ethinking the News,鈥� but you can also find the series by going to csmonitor.com/stronger. Or find us wherever you get your podcasts.
Mendoza: In the meantime, here is the teaser for 鈥淪tronger.鈥� Enjoy!
[Music]
Laine Perfas: It鈥檚 almost hard to believe that we鈥檙e here. After more than a year of fear, stress, and anxiety, we鈥檙e starting to come back from the pandemic.
: 鈥� the recovery from the pandemic is coming along much faster than many expected鈥�
鈥� third week in a row that the number fell, so we鈥檙e moving in the right direction鈥�
鈥� the road this week to look at America鈥檚 road to recovery from amusement parks to baseball 鈥�
[Music]
Mendoza: But hold on. There鈥檚 still a lot to process about what we all just lived through.
Laine Perfas: That鈥檚 especially true for the people who were affected the most. And when we talk about jobs and the economy, almost nobody had it worse than women.
[Music]
Laine Perfas: I鈥檓 Samantha Laine Perfas.
Mendoza: I鈥檓 Jessica Mendoza. We鈥檙e reporters with 海角大神. This is 鈥淪tronger.鈥�
[Music]
Laine Perfas: As the US climbs out of the pandemic, we bring you stories from six women in Las Vegas, one of the hardest hit economies in the country. What did they lose to the pandemic 鈥� and how are they winning it back?
Mendoza: We get real personal about all the things that have made the pandemic so hard for women everywhere.
Laine Perfas: Like losing jobs 鈥�
Mariza Rocha: They laid us off, everybody was scared about what鈥檚 happening.
Mendoza: 鈥� or stressing out over them 鈥�
Leslie Stevenson: 鈥淲ell, if you鈥檙e a good teacher, you can teach a class, whether it鈥檚 five or five hundred.鈥� Spoken like a true non teacher.
Laine Perfas: 鈥� taking care of their families 鈥�
Jennifer Ashley Ciballos: I see how my parents are struggling right now and I just want to get them out of it.
Mendoza: 鈥� and surviving the pandemic itself.
Yarleny Roa-Dugan: That was the most stressful part of the whole year I think, when my family got COVID.
[Music]
Laine Perfas: But because lives are complicated and nuanced, there were still things that made us laugh.
Christine Hudman Pardy: 鈥淥h, I just want my husband to be home. I just want to be around him.鈥� Well he鈥檚 home. And he鈥檚 going to be here for a long time, you know what I mean?
Mendoza: And inspired us 鈥�
Jaelynn Ciballos: When I see her, I鈥檓 like, dang 鈥� she鈥檚 really out here, she鈥檚 like, grinding.
[Music]
Mendoza: This pandemic is a collective trauma.
Laine Perfas: But it鈥檚 also a reminder that we as a society can do better, together.
Roa-Dugan: Some things do really need to change.
Hudman Pardy: I think that would be my hope for the world is just more empathy, more compassion.
Rocha: I don鈥檛 want it to be normal. I want it to be better than before.
[Music]
Mendoza: The series launches on July 12th. Be sure to subscribe to 鈥淪tronger鈥� wherever you get your podcasts! Or visit us at csmonitor.com/stronger.
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