The gender-biased impact of Covid-19

Did women get the short end of the stick in this pandemic?

While the pandemic and its general social and economic impacts have created an unparalleled global crisis in recent history, it has also exacerbated existing inequalities, with gender being a severely affected area. The irony is that 2020 marks the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action and was intended as a ground-breaking year for gender equality by the UN. Instead, with Covid-19, even the limited gains made in the past are at risk of being lost.

The battlefronts
Take health, for starters. According to a UN policy brief, women make up to 70 per cent of the global health workforce and are more likely to be frontline workers. They are also the majority of health facility service staff in jobs like cleaning, laundry, catering, and as such, more likely to be exposed to the virus. This can be clearly seen in countries like Spain. Out of the 7,329 healthcare workers infected by Covid-19, 72 per cent were women compared to 28 per cent men.
While women are at the forefront of this pandemic versus humanity battle, women's reproductive health services characterised as "non-essential" are being cut in many countries. Access to contraceptives and maternal health and menstrual hygiene products have reduced as the pressure of Covid-19 grows on healthcare systems. The lack of these resources may result in increased rates of unplanned pregnancies and maternal mortality.

Female economics
Businesses across the world are closing or scaling back operations, and millions have or will lose their jobs and livelihoods. Globally, women earn less and hold less secure jobs. Their capacity to absorb economic shock is less than that of men and the effect of unemployment much greater. These impacts may roll back the gains made in female labour force participation, limiting women's ability to support themselves and their families, especially for single-parent households. In addition, closures of schools and daycare centres have massively increased childcare needs. As unpaid care burdens increase, livelihood opportunities decrease.
The employment drop related to social distancing measures has affected sectors with high female employment, like retail, tourism and hospitality. According to the US Department of Labour, nearly 60 per cent of the jobs eliminated in the first wave of pandemic cuts were held by women. As Covid-19 spread across Asia, women bore the brunt of widespread job cuts, with sectors dominated by female workers, including textiles and the service industry, to be the first hit. In developing economies, up to 70 per cent women's employment is in the informal economy with few protections against dismissal or paid sick leave.

WFH consequences
Around the world, women typically spend three times as many hours as men in unpaid care and domestic work. While the pandemic has exacerbated the situation for women across the globe, it has also spotlighted the ways in which the daily functioning of families, communities, and the formal economy are dependent on this invisible work. With no schools or babysitters, the demand for unpaid childcare provision is falling more heavily on women. The situation is especially problematic for single parents, of which there are far more mothers than fathers.
Shutdowns also create more housework. Unfortunately, having a partner doesn't necessarily equate to equal help with these responsibilities. For decades, women have done the majority of this unpaid work - even when they out-earn their husbands.
This unequal division of labour hasn't changed much since the onset of Covid-19. Even though men are spending more time at home than before, women are still reportedly doing more housework. This greater burden of unpaid work at home is affecting their career progression and future earning potential.

No 'shelter' from domestic violence
Gender-based violence typically increases during a crisis, and Covid-19 is no different. Violence against women has increased globally as pre-existing gender inequalities combine with economic stress and social isolation measures. While it is too early for comprehensive data, there are already surges being reported upwards of 25 per cent in countries with reporting systems in place. This data is likely to reflect only the worst cases, as without access to resources, many women will struggle to seek help.

The post-covid-19 world for women
With such a negative impact, it seems pertinent to consider what we can learn from the pandemic and if there is room for anything positive to come out of it. I believe there is:
* Covid-19 is the first outbreak where inequities based on gender are being recorded by researchers and policy makers. These records can challenge the assumption that childcare and elderly care are predominantly women's responsibilities and bring to fore the fact that this free-of-cost care effectively provides a huge subsidy to the paid economy.
* As businesses realise work from home and flexible hours work just as well as being in the office, such arrangements are likely to persist, potentially providing more career opportunities for women.
* During the lockdown period, many men shared responsibility for home and childcare. In some cultures, this may help erode social norms that currently lead to a lopsided distribution of the division of labour in housework and childcare.
(Maalik is partner consultant at The Loop, an integrated marketing and communications company.)
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