Unpaid care work, mostly performed by women, is a central but undervalued contributor to economies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for unpaid care work increased due to restricted movement, social isolation, and economic challenges. This pandemic has highlighted the urgency of recognizing and valuing women's work at the household level which has been systematically overlooked. At the same time, it has increased the demand for technology usage, exposing the gender digital divide. This article aims to shed light on the additional burden women are facing, especially when trying to balance unpaid care work with paid employment from the seclusion of their homes. We do this by reviewing a number of surveys conducted in Indonesia. We combine this with other examples from additional contexts in order to draw attention to a global trend of amplified inequalities and struggles women are experiencing. We advocate for an urgent paradigm shift by providing vital recommendations for policymakers and managers.

Island territories that are not connected to the mainland grid have some peculiarities derived from their high level of isolation. For this reason, they are the subject of specific regulation in various European countries under the EU, national and local regulation. In order to deal with the high cost of energy on their territories, the lack of grid stability and the lack of autonomy, many initiatives that promote the introduction of energy self-sufficiency in isolated insular locations have emerged. The present paper is a policy review regarding islands non-interconnected with the mainland grid. The focus is on the key policy issues for the promotion of renewable energy as well as the outcomes of these policies in Greece, Portugal, Spain and France. A discussion of the unified price system, the creation of local markets and the special regulation for energy storage and the demand side management systems are some of the policy proposals cocluded from the present review. In order to overcome all the discussed barriers an approach that reaches across different governance levels with a special focus on the peculiarities of the island systems is needed.

No abstract