Guatemalan Adolescents' Hopes and Dreams

Utilizing adolescents' drawings to investigate their perceptions of self has a long history in psychology. The methodological approach is particularly useful in places, such as Guatemala, where the population may have relatively lower levels of literacy and/or less experience engaging with Western-style research surveys. By asking adolescents to draw a picture of themselves and list five characteristics that they hope to have in 15 years, we were able to collect valuable data on issues such as the students' desires for the future and what they see as possible for themselves. Participants ( N = 81, M age = 14.56 years, 49.4% cisgender girls, all from Jocotenango, Guatemala) provided five characteristics that they hoped to have 15 years in the future and then drew a self-portrait of themselves 15 years in the future. The drawings and characteristics underwent a process of thematic analysis to determine patterns and themes that are prevalent in the data. Common themes that emerged include jobs or specific professions they hope to have, owning a home or property such as a car, and having a family. In the drawings, the common themes are similar: mentioning specific careers, owning a home or property, and having a family. These data can help us determine what type of future these students hope for to ensure that schools and other institutions are providing the tools students will need for those futures.

Women Leaders During a Global Crisis

Women make up almost 50% of our global population ( World Bank, 2019 ); however, they comprise only 6% of elected nation leaders ( UN Women, 2020a ). Though small in number, when coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic impacted our societies in 2019, women leaders were featured for their skillful navigation of an unknown and invisible threat. An understanding of the history of work toward gender equity, the current state of female leadership, and the continued barriers facing female leadership are reviewed to gain increased appreciation for why this emphasis was placed on female leadership. Researches analyzing women leaders during COVID-19 during the early months of the pandemic are presented, showcasing the promising and significant findings. Global women leaders consistently demonstrated a trend of enacting prompt public health measures, resulting in low death rates.

Psychological Well-Being of Indian Mothers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study explored the associations among psychological well-being (PWB), self-compassion, psychological inflexibility (PI), and parenting stress (PS) in 242 urban Indian mothers of children 10 years old and younger in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Regression analysis revealed that greater self-compassion (SC), less PS, and greater psychological flexibility were associated with psychological well-being among the participants. Findings from this study contribute to research on maternal mental health by showing that, even in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, SC, PI, and PS are related to the PWB of urban Indian mothers, thus highlighting a need for evolving gender-based policies and emphasizing specific interventions for this vulnerable population.

COVID-19 and Women

Modern slavery is a significant global human rights crisis that disproportionately affects women and girls, and research indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing vulnerabilities to exploitation. Early evidence suggests that the pandemic has disproportionately affected women and girls, including an increase in lack of access to family planning and adequate sexual and reproductive care and an increase in maternal mortality rates. Additionally, the pandemic has instigated a reduction in economic opportunities and access to education for women and girls and increased violence against women. For this study, regression analysis was used to examine country-level data from 197 UN member countries. Predictor variables included indicators reflecting key areas addressed by UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG-5): gender inequality, educational and economic opportunities for females, women's leadership, gendered violence, and women's health. SDG-5 calls for gender equality and empowerment of women and girls. The criterion variable was the estimated prevalence of modern slavery across UN countries. Regression analysis revealed significant results across all models. Literacy rates and expected years of schooling for females, femicide, lifetime prevalence of violence, and several indicators of women's health were found to be strongly and significantly related to increased estimated prevalence of modern slavery. Furthermore, we propose that the pandemic has increased vulnerability to exploitation for women and girls by regressing progress across all areas addressed by SDG-5.

Women's Experiences During COVID-19 in Bangladesh

This study is a content analysis of women's experiences during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic in Bangladesh, using a unique data set from Bangladesh's only emotional support and suicide prevention helpline. Each call to the helpline has a written description, completed by the individual answering the call, of the caller's condition and reasons for calling. We coded descriptions of calls received from female callers in the first 6 months of the pandemic ( N = 276) and in the same 6-month period from the previous year ( N = 224) for comparison. Findings revealed that for the most part, reasons for calling were largely similar across the 2 years, with the majority of calls involving relationships of various kinds (namely, parents, husbands, or romantic partners). Key differences between 2020 and 2019 include mental health concerns in relation to the pandemic and academic concerns being absent from the pandemic year. These findings contribute to the emerging literature of women's experiences during the pandemic and have implications for intervention and future research.

“Mi Hijo es lo Principal” – Guatemalan Mothers Navigate the COVID-19 Pandemic

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, motherwork has increased. Mothers, including in Guatemala, have taken on expanded responsibilities of virtual schooling and keeping the family safe and healthy, in addition to prepandemic familial and professional contributions. Twelve Guatemalan mothers of children under age 7 were interviewed about how they negotiated the pandemic; data were coded using thematic analysis and consensual qualitative research frameworks. Analysis revealed six themes: daily stressors, fostering children's development, implementing coping strategies, utilizing technology, establishing closer relationships, and achieving personal and occupational growth. Guatemalan mothers tapped into existing ideologies of motherhood, relied on traditional values of Guatemalan culture – faith, family, and gratitude – prioritized their children's well-being, and found unexpected benefits. Social policies that specifically address women's conditions, agency, and strengths could forward achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 5, Gender Equality, in Guatemala.

Affective-Semiotic Dynamics of the Transition to Motherhood in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The transition to motherhood is an important moment in the life course, in which symbolic interactive dynamics are established between self, other, and world to overcome developmental challenges. However, these challenges are intensified with the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a radical and unexpected rupture in daily life. This article aims to analyze the affective-semiotic dynamics of Brazilian women who experienced the transition to motherhood during the COVID-19 pandemic from a qualitative multiple case study. Eight women participated in the study in the city of Salvador. Data were collected from two narrative interviews with each participant conducted through videoconference, with a 2-month interval between interviews. The main finding reveals that the emergence of the pandemic was described by the participants as an unexpected and significant rupture in the transition to motherhood that raised feelings of fear and anxiety. In addition, I–other relations were marked by intense ambivalence between the need for social support and the risk of contagion, and the perspective and experience of childbirth were marked by a feeling of insecurity in the relations with the health personnel and settings. In light of Semiotic Cultural Psychology, three interdependent affective-semiotic fields were highlighted from the narratives: the perception of oneself regulated by the sign of vulnerability, the other regulated by the sign of a potential threat, and healthcare provision regulated by the sign of risk. These findings highlight the importance of quality healthcare that helps women to reduce the disruptive impact of the pandemic on the ontogenetic structure of psychological organization.

Domestic Violence During the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Domestic violence against women by their partners is a form of gender-based violence, and it has been recognized as a major social issue worldwide. Under the framework of feminist empowerment theory, we investigated the experiences and coping behaviors of 15 abused women from northern Greece during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis. We conducted a qualitative study, utilizing in-depth interviews that were analyzed via content analysis. Our findings highlight the women's coping strategies, such as raising consciousness, being more aware of the situation, establishing safety plans, increasing self-confidence, and eventually reclaiming control of their lives. Our study allows educators, researchers, policy makers, and other women to learn lessons about dealing with violence in times of crisis, and for social welfare professionals to become more effective in meeting the needs of women in similar situations in the future.

Toward the Pursuit of What People Value

This study sought to initiate conversations on the utility of the capability approach and a psychological lens in approximating a living wage. We put forth the concept of capability gap – defined as the difference between what one values and what one perceives as attainable. We used a set of valued domains of a good life that were identified based on well-being indicators in determining capability gaps. Five hundred workers (all breadwinners) belonging to households selected through stratified random sampling from purposively chosen middle- and low-income communities in the Philippines participated in the survey. From the data, we constructed a weighted capability measure that determines the capability gap, weighted by the perceived importance of each of the good life domains. We likewise derived an estimate of a living wage that yields a weighted capability that represents individuals' capabilities to achieve and pursue valued outcomes, freedoms, and entitlements. This initial attempt at estimating a living wage based on individuals' capability to achieve and pursue a good life is presented as the main contribution of the research. The limitations of the study as well as its implications to living wage research and policy are discussed.