The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on our living systems and on the economic and political organization of our country. The significant loss of human lives, the interruption of economic activities, the lockdown, to give just a few references, are undoubted threats to our well-being. 

The Italian context is of great interest to analyse the possible consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic with respect to women’s new daily life routines, not only because of the drastic measures adopted by the Government in the first emergency phase, but also because of the significant gender differences that characterise the country. In a more recent study (Chirivì & Moffa 2020) on women’s equality paths, we were able to highlight how the typically family-based Italian welfare system – the care of themost fragile people (children, elderly and disabled) is almost entirely entrusted to families – penalises women who bear the burden of looking after everyone. The spread of the pandemic has in fact laid bare the already existing gender inequalities, highlighting a dimension of women’s lives that is often hidden or overlooked, based on a persistent disparity in different areas of daily life, from everyday family life to work and social activities. 

This paper1 aims to explore two key issues: gender inequality and links between reproduction and production sphere, focusing on pre-existing inequalities and vulnerabilities in women’s life experiences.