Reflecting on Gender Inequities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

 

We are unfortunately all too familiar with the multitude of gender inequities that continue to exist today, whether economic, health, or social. However, in the midst of the current COVID-19 pandemic, many (if not all) of these disparities have been exacerbated. Described as a “shadow pandemic” in a new UN report about COVID-19 and girls and women, this parallel epidemic has led to a spike in domestic violence against women and girls, massive job losses for women who worked in informal and lower-paying jobs, and a heavy burden of risk on our frontline workers, who are predominantly women. Additionally, the stay-at-home orders have added yet another layer of difficulty for women, who bear the majority of unpaid care work such as child care and household tasks. This leaves many wondering if the current pandemic is undoing some of recent advances that had been made with regards to achieving greater gender equity. 

When thinking about the drastic changes that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought upon our daily lives, many questions come to mind. Who are those that are risking their lives at the frontline? Who has the luxury of being able to continue working from home? And when people are working from home, who’s responsible for childcare, and who has the privilege of actually working? Women represent the overwhelming majority of essential and frontline workers in this pandemic. In fact, the New York Times estimated that 1 in 3 jobs held by women has been designated essential, and 52% of all essential workers are women. From the cashier, to the nurse in the emergency room, to the pharmacist, it is clear that women are playing an enormous part during the current public health crisis. These are the same workers whose jobs are consistently underpaid and undervalued, yet also keep our country running during (and outside of) a pandemic. Recently, additional stressors are multiplying for these workers: are they bringing the disease home? With no school, who will take care of their children during their shifts? Will their children be able to keep up with remote schooling? These questions are especially relevant since the vast majority of single-parent families are led by women. 

And what about those working from home? While by now you’ve probably heard about how Newton and Shakespeare did their best work during pandemics, that’s most probably because they didn’t have to manage meal prepping, home schooling, or house work while simultaneously advancing their careers. One way our society has enabled women to join the workforce is by outsourcing childcare. But with schools being closed and most of us at home, women that are not frontline or essential workers are most likely to quit their job or be laid off in order to cover childcare, housework, care of ageing parents, or coordinate any activities inside the home. This is also true in academia, where women seem to be submitting fewer papers to academic journals than men compared to the same period last year, undoubtedly because women take on a greater share of family responsibilities. 

Then, yet another layer then comes into play: the shadow pandemic. Shelter-in-place orders across the globe have exacerbated violence against women and girls inside the home, giving abusers more power in every aspect of their relationships. In addition to physical violence, common tools for abuse include social isolation, constant surveillance, strict rules on behavior, and restrictions on access to basic necessities. Economic stress, worsening mental health issues and increased substance use: all these elements are also contributing to elevated levels of violence from abusers. In France, reports of domestic violence have increased by 30% since the lockdown was put in place on March 17th. Moreover, access to support groups and resources has been greatly limited by the COVID-19 pandemic, with avenues for disclosing abuse or receiving care more restricted than ever. In a recent discussion with members of the Empower Lab, we discussed how this tied into aspects of telemedicine. While telemedicine has been hailed as a gamechanger during the current pandemic, how can doctors be sure their patients aren’t being pressured into opting for telemedicine consultations by their abusers? How can healthcare providers ensure that they can communicate with their patients in private, and that their patients are in a space where they can disclose sensitive information? These issues highlight the need to think more about how we can reach women in situations of domestic abuse, and how they can reach out for help.

While some encouraging aspects have been brought to light by this pandemic, with many girls and women leading or joining activist movements and using creative methods and tools to be heard, the truth remains: girls and women will be the ones who will suffer the most from the social and economic consequences of COVID-19. We need to continue to challenge gender stereotypes and harmful masculinities, build strong advocacy and awareness surrounding issues of intimate partner violence and gender-based violence, increase representation of women in policymaking and research, and ensure that frontline jobs and unpaid care work (both predominantly held by women) are recognized and valued as a vital contribution to the economy. 

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Mathilde HainautComment