Impact of COVID-19 on gender equality
Women were suffering the economic brunt of the pandemic, according to RMIT Lecturer in Economics and a Research Fellow with the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard University Dr Leonore Risse.
“The bulk of the jobs shed due to COVID-19 restrictions are in the service industries – hospitality, food services, tourism, travel, retail trade – are female-concentrated,” she said.
“These women are losing work hours or being squeezed out of the workforce altogether, especially part-time workers.
“In comparison, the industries that employ more men – construction, manufacturing, transport, warehousing and mining – involve less direct contact with the public, meaning men’s jobs have been less disrupted by the COVID-19 restrictions."
These effects of the coronavirus would lead to a widening of the gender pay gap, she warned.
“It’s crucial we find ways to use these females’ workers’ skills in other ways, steering them towards the industries that are growing in demand and innovatively adapting to a COVID-19 world."
Associate Professor in Criminology and Justice Studies Dr Anastasia Powell said the COVID-19 lockdown had taken a serious toll on women’s safety and economic and career progression.
“The social isolation during the lockdown has had the side-effect of placing women at greater risk of experiencing violence and abuse in the home, and at the hands of a male partner or family member,” she said.
“But as society slowly emerges, figures are showing that the pandemic measures are also impacting women more severely than men in the areas of job losses, income losses, and increased care-taking roles at home."
She said the economic and career progression interruptions of losing work, losing hours, and having increased responsibilities at home, were likely to have a longer-term effect on women's equality.
“Gender inequality is not only a human rights issue but is the underlying driver that places women at risk of violence,” Powell said.
“It is crucial that both governments and workplaces examine their policies and post-COVID-19 measures to ensure women are not paying a greater price in response to this pandemic.”
Story: Diana Robertson