A Gendered Social World: Women Hit the Hardest During COVID-19

We’re all in the same storm, just in different boats.

COVID-19 shook the world upside down. It was a situation never seen before affecting every individual in the world. From testing state capacity to putting global governments in a plight, to forcing businesses to work with technology, and to ultimately taking approximately 372,000 lives worldwide (so far), this crisis will leave an indelible mark in history. The pandemic - triggered economic and social crisis is bound to deteriorate and in accordance with this, the International Monetary Fund has anticipated a world-wide recession in the months to come. Millions of people will go into extreme poverty as per the World Bank Report. On top of that, the global recovery will be sluggish, leaving long-lasting scars. However, it is imperative to acknowledge that the repercussions are asymmetrical. People underrepresented in society prior to COVID-19 would be hit badly, particularly women. The International Labour Organization estimates that 195 million jobs could be eliminated globally due to the pandemic, with a majority in sectors predominated by women. Why is that despite claiming to work towards a "progressive" society, one gender somehow seems to suffer more than the other?

The deepening of pre-existing inequalities has struck women like lightning. The industries egregiously affected by COVID-19, particularly major industries like retail, leisure, and hospitality which foresees a majority of women’s work have led to a downward spiral affecting several aspects of life. Since inception, women have been assiduous in terms of climbing the ladder toward equality (socially, economically, and politically). Sadly, but not shockingly, the global pandemic has intensified the gender pay gap (women were previously paid 16% less than men anyway). As per the latest unemployment figures in the US, women held 55% of the 22.5 million jobs that were lost in the early stages of the panic-driven lockdown. The suppression of women has long prolonged in society, and now previously working women must be going through a cacophony of emotions. The New York Times report suggests that the closing of schools hit women particularly hard because much of the responsibility of child care falls on them. The shift in household dynamics including domestic responsibilities such as cooking and cleaning has inflated, inducing further stress to women who recently lost their livelihood. Though some women did not lose their jobs, their household responsibility has become a stumbling block to even execute work from home successfully. With both parents working and lack of availability of domestic help, women are likely to cut back on their work hours, making them more prone to being on the employer’s cut list. Socially speaking, the traditional societal norms suggest that women tend to eat last, and research (by Indiatimes) suggests that due to financial strains and food shortages, women tend to suffer from nutritional deficiencies more than men. Countries around the world are facing a sharp surge in domestic violence cases against women, particularly, marital rape. Further, in Asia, emerging findings suggested that menstrual hygiene products for women were initially lacking due to governments not recognizing this as an essential product during the strict lockdown phase. The multifarious myths regarding menstruation in developing countries have led to further health concerns.

As global governments start rethinking how to restart and reshape the economy, it is crucial to think about sustainable goals, reevaluation of business models, and improving the balance of women in companies’ leadership. Access to technology and skill development should be scaled up, especially targeting women. From an economic and social standpoint, policymakers must engage with women’s organizations to encourage empowerment & eradication of the colossal amount of suffering they have suffered as they navigate the post-COVID-19 economy. For example, the government of Andhra Pradesh in India is hiring thousands of women to stitch face masks in factories while following the safety protocols. Little efforts like these go a long way. A gender-neutral response would help fix the broken pieces of the world economy.