How do mothers in political leadership positions maintain work-life balance during COVID-19 Pandemic? Experiences from the Smallest Political Unit in Southern Philippines

Being a mother is already a tough responsibility; how much more when she is also the political leader of a community during a global health crisis? This article aims to describe how women Punong Barangays (PBs) in the Province of Bukidnon, Philippines, navigate their dual responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. It looks into their practical approaches, key factors behind their success in mitigating challenges as community leaders, and how they perceived the work-life balance based on their experiences. Gathered through purposive sampling of mothers chosen based on their involvement as leaders of their community during the pandemic, phenomenological analysis was conducted. The findings show that personal commitment to resolving role-specific challenges, combined with effective time management, is important in maintaining work-life balance. Also, protecting the family’s health, spiritual, and emotional aspects helped women PBs become resilient despite conflicting duties. It was found that women leaders were present in public service duties, while being absent from home. Their sacrifices ensured crisis response, but it also came at a personal cost. Significantly, women leaders perceived their involvement during the pandemic as having a sense of purpose. It also suggests that balancing being a mother and a political leader in a community during the global health crisis is not about being present in both tasks.  Family and organizational support, and commitment to service are critical factors in this study. It argues that the concept of work-life balance had a different meaning because of the nature of their job during the pandemic.