The Role of Women in the Digital Age: Balancing professional and personal challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic

The paper presents the analysis of data collected with a survey on COVID-19 impact on STEM including engineering and Information and Communication Technologoes (ICT) professionals from different regions that have different cultures and focuses on the effect on women or other marginalized groups. Four major geographic areas are considered - Europe, Asia, North and South America. Particularities in Western, Eastern and Balkan regions in Europe are identified and compared with other geographic regions. Specific models for balancing professional and personal COVID-19 challenges adopted by women and other groups are pointed out and discussed with a focus on past, present, and future. The study will help employers, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), and authorities to define better policies for supporting women and other marginalized groups in pandemic and other situations that bring office at home and require intensive use of digital technologies. Hints for game changes in the post-COVID 19 period are proposed.