ATLANTA — More than 18 months in, the pandemic continues to create work struggles for millions of Americans - but especially women.
Even as economic conditions have improved, women continue to suffer in and out of the workforce.
The National Women’s Law Center has been tracking the impact of the pandemic on women in the labor force each month during the pandemic.
In August 2021, women accounted for just 11.9 percent of job gains.
At that rate, it will take nine years for women to recover the jobs lost since February 2020 - and experts warn of a long-lasting impact on the wage gap for women.
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Despite the gloomy numbers, one local business woman is making it work.
We introduced you to Courtney Buchanan back in 2020.
She started her silk scarf business, CB Grey, right in the middle of the pandemic with a newborn, a sick mom, and COVID-19 to deal with.
Now, with gratitude to her success, she’s giving back.
With some design help from her son and godson, she created a superhero scarf to honor children going through childhood cancer.
She donated 100 scarves, half of them to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the other half to the non-profit Cure Childhood Cancer to empower children in this fight.
“Superheroes have extraordinary powers - powers to change outcomes,” said Buchanan. “Anyone battling cancer is the most super of superheroes. The colors, the stars - it’s all meant to inspire anyone who wears it, and to remind them that even on the darkest days, they still shine.”
One child recently wore it like a cape to ring the bell celebrating the end of his inpatient cancer treatments.
Buchanan is donating 100% of the proceeds to the non-profit Cure Childhood Cancer and hopes any child that wears it feels like the superhero they are.