Even prior to the pandemic, women faced many challenges to overcome in the workforce. This includes long-talked-about issues such as the gender pay gap, and struggling to be taken as seriously as male leaders.

In some aspects, the pandemic exacerbated this by also seeing some married women say they have faced the gender stereotype of being expected to take up more of the housework in comparison to their spouse.

However, remote work has also provided moments of opportunity for female workers. The Economic Times addressed the matter in their recent article, outlining how the pandemic has helped bring some women closer together.

The former chairperson of JPMorgan South and Southeast Asia, Kalpana Morparia, described how modern female leaders are more willing to support those coming up behind them, saying, “More women in senior roles act as a magnet for other women – they act as role models. Many organizations also have women-focused resource groups that create bonding opportunities for women.”

Anuranjita Kumar is one woman providing such groups for other women. This includes We-Ace, a community created during the pandemic specifically for women so that they can connect with mentors, and find career opportunities aimed at them. The site currently has over 100,000 members.

Explaining what prompted her to take action, Kumar said, “Through my corporate life and entrepreneurship journey, the dynamics of old boys’ club remain strong.” She went on to state “Being invited there, though, would take a while, and therefore, it is important for women to support each other as they take the mantle of leadership.”

Being forced to turn to digital efforts during the pandemic is not something women like Kumar allowed to isolate them. Instead, it became a rallying moment for women to forge new communities to help each other.

Sites like We-Ace recognize that even prior to remote work, so many women felt alone in trying to further their careers. These sites want to encourage women to seek support from each other and share their knowledge so that future generations can be spared the unnecessary hardships of their predecessors.

To read more on how remote work has impacted gender issues, read the thoughts of The Economic Times here.

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