Socio-economic effects of pandemic threaten to reverse progress towards gender equality

As Covid-19 has caused major disruptions in all aspects of life, women have experienced negative social and economic impacts to a greater extent than men, according to new research.

In a new study, published in The Lancet, women reported higher rates of employment loss, school dropouts , and perception of gender-based violence increase by September 2021 compared to men, as an indirect result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As research on previous public health and economic crises has shown, the socio-economic effects on women often persist long after the initial disruption. The authors of the study therefore call for urgent intervention to prevent a reversal in progress towards gender equality.

Most existing gender disparity studies have focussed on the direct health impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic – it is well documented that, across the globe, men have had higher rates of Covid-19 incidence, hospitalisation, and death. However, this is one of the few studies which have examined how gender inequalities have been affected by the indirect health, social, and economic effects of the pandemic systematically and in detail across countries.

Senior author Professor Emmanuela Gakidou said: ‘This study provides the first comprehensive global evidence on gender disparities for a wide range of health-related, social, and economic indicators throughout the pandemic. The evidence suggests that Covid-19 has tended to exacerbate previously existing social and economic disparities rather than create new inequalities.’

‘Society is at a pivotal moment where investment in the empowerment of women and girls is critically needed to ensure that progress towards gender equality does not get stalled or reversed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. We cannot let the social and economic fallouts from the pandemic continue into the post-Covid era. Action must be taken now to not only reverse the current disparities, but to further close the gaps present before the pandemic began.’

The authors analysed publicly available data sets from 193 countries using surveys taken from March 2020 to September 2021 that reported on health and well-being during the Covid-19 pandemic. Gender inequalities were analysed for five categories: economic and work-related concerns, education, safety at home and in the community, vaccine hesitancy and uptake, and healthcare services.

In related news, the number of children estimated to have experienced the death of a parent or caregiver as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic has surged to more than 5.2m globally, according to a new study published in The Lancet.

Photo by Tim Mossholder