Cabaran Ekonomi Ibu Tunggal B40 di Selangor semasa Pandemik Covid-19 (Economic Challenges of B40 Single Mothers in Selangor During the Covid-19 Pandemic)

Abstract

Sebelum kemunculan wabak COVID-19, ibu tunggal B40 telah menghadapi pelbagai kesukaran dalam membesarkan anak-anak tanpa bantuan dan sokongan suami. Walau bagaimanapun, keadaan telah menjadi lebih teruk apabila pandemik COVID-19 menjejaskan kehidupan ibu tunggal B40 secara mendadak terutamanya dari segi ekonomi. Majoriti ibu tunggal B40 telah kehilangan punca pendapatan disebabkan oleh pelaksanaan Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP). Satu kajian kualitatif telah dijalankan bagi meneroka cabaran ekonomi yang dialami oleh ibu tunggal B40 semasa pandemik COVID-19. Informan kajian ini telah dipilih berdasarkan pensampelan bertujuan dengan menetapkan kriteria-kriteria inklusif seperti ibu tunggal yang bekerja untuk menyara keluarga, berpendapatan dalam kategori B40, mempunyai anak yang masih bersekolah dan bergelar ibu tunggal kerana bercerai atau kematian suami. Kajian ini telah menggunakan kaedah perbincangan kumpulan berfokus (FGD) sebagai kaedah pengumpulan data. Perbincangan kumpulan berfokus ini telah melibatkan 20 orang ibu tunggal B40 di Selangor yang kemudiannya telah dipecahkan kepada empat kumpulan kecil. Hasil perbincangan kumpulan berfokus mendapati tiga subtema cabaran ekonomi yang dialami oleh ibu tunggal B40 semasa pandemik COVID-19 iaitu penutupan perniagaan, pemotongan gaji atau elaun dan tiada simpanan kecemasan. Hasil kajian ini boleh dijadikan rujukan kepada kajian masa hadapan dan pihak-pihak serta agensi yang tertentu dalam menitikberatkan kesihatan mental ibu tunggal B40 semasa krisis dunia dengan mengambil kira cabaran-cabaran ekonomi yang dihadapi oleh mereka.

Kata kunci: Cabaran ekonomi; ibu tunggal B40; pandemik COVID-19; penutupan perniagaan; pemotongan gaji; simpanan kecemasan

Abstract
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, B40 single mothers had difficult time raising their children alone without the help and support from her husband. However, the situation got worse when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the lives of B40 single mothers abruptly, especially economically. The majority of B40 single mothers have lost a source of income due to the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO). A qualitative study has been conducted to explore the economic challenges faced by B40 single mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The informants of this study were selected based on purposive sampling with inclusive criteria such as working single mother, belonged to the B40 income category, had children who are still in school and became single mother due to divorce or death of husbands. The study has used the focus group discussion (FGD) as a data collection method. This focused group discussion has involved 20 B40 single mothers in Selangor who have subsequently been split into four smaller groups. The group discussions discovered three sub-themes of the economic challenges that B40 single mothers experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic which are business closure, salary cuts and no emergency savings. The findings can be used as a reference for the future research or can be used by specific organisations to evaluate the mental health of B40 single mothers during the global crisis due to the economic challenges that they faced.

Keywords: Economic challenges; B40 single mother; COVID-19 pandemic; business closure; salary cuts; emergency savings

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