The gendered role of pastoral care within tertiary education institutions: an autoethnographic reflection during COVID-19

Emerging research highlights that the pandemic has exacerbated gendered inequities for academic women. These disparities prior to COVID-19 included a significant gender pay gap, and women channelled into administrative, teaching, and pastoral care roles that are not recognised with career advancement and remuneration compared to research routes much more readily facilitated for and by male colleagues. Using a collaborative auto-ethnographic approach we reflect on our experiences of emotional labour in supporting nursing students throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and the invisibility of this crucial work within academia. We noted that the patriarchal construction of academia remains present and highly visible to the detriment of many female career trajectories.