We must move fast in the transition to the future of remote work. But not too fast, otherwise our journey to gender equity – and economic recovery – could take a turn for the worse.

In the months leading up to COVID-19, women were driving a strong labour market. They held 50.04% of US jobs (excluding farm workers and the self-employed) and in a historic first, the number of highly-educated women in the workforce surpassed the number of highly-educated men – a milestone reflective of women’s overall rising educational attainment rates. With the onset of COVID-19, however, women’s participation in the paid labour market took a hit.