COVID-19 and gender: How the pandemic is affecting the health of women and girls worldwide

Tekst: Hanne Dahl Vonen (Representant til Nasjonalt Styre, Nmf Trondheim 2021) og Merete Lan Olsen (Redaktør for Æsculap)

*Denne teksten var først publisert i magasinet iFOKUS 

As the world is facing a global pandemic, we are starting to learn of the effects of COVID-19 on women’s health beyond the virus itself. Vulnerable groups in society are especially at risk, including women and girls because of pre-existing unequal living conditions. The pandemic is now amplifying these inequalities, due to the lack of education and access to sexual and reproductive health, unpaid work and gender-based violence, representing a shadow pandemic (1). While the full scope of the effect the pandemic will have on the health of women and girls is not yet known, there is reason to believe that its consequences can potentially be excruciating if not addressed.  

It is widely documented that disease outbreaks increase girls’ and women’s duties caring for family members. As of March 2020, UNESCO estimated that 89% of children were out of school, 111 million of these girls living in the world’s least developed countries where obtaining an education is already posing a great challenge. Many of these will never return to school (2). Girls will thus be disproportionately affected by the secondary effects of the pandemic since their education is put on halt. Good quality education is the foundation of anyone’s well-being and substantial evidence shows that education has a causal effect on health, measured through mortality (3,4). Due to the already pre-existing gender inequalities, the pandemic has thus been forcing girls and women to take on the role as caregivers, depriving them of education and the opportunity to live longer healthier lives. 

As of March 2020, UNESCO estimated that 89% of children were out of school, 111 million of these girls living in the world’s least developed countries where obtaining an education is already posing a great challenge. Many of these will never return to school

Worldwide women make up 70% of the health workforce and are in the frontlines in the global fight against COVID-19 (5). They are now faced with a double burden, namely longer shifts at work accompanied by increased responsibility and caretaking at home. Also, it has been found that most masks provided at hospitals are in “default man” size, leaving female workers especially exposed (6). The risk of COVID-19 infection and the load of work will therefore represent a severe strain on their mental and physical health, leading to a series of harmful health consequences including suffering from PTSD and burnout (7,8). 

Worldwide women make up 70% of the health workforce and are in the frontlines in the global fight against COVID-19. They are now faced with a double burden, namely longer shifts at work accompanied by increased responsibility and caretaking at home.

Gender equality is an indispensable part of achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (9) and recognizing the gender-based challenges our society is facing will not only improve the long-standing inequalities for women and girls but also develop a more equal and resilient world for every single one of us.

Kilder:

1. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/5/press-release-the-shadow-pandemic-of-violence-against-women-during-covid-19

2. https://en.unesco.org/news/covid-19-school-closures-around-world-will-hit-girls-hardest

3. http://www.oecd.org/education/innovation-education/37425753.pdf

4. https://en.unesco.org/themes/education-health-and-well-being

5. https://www.who.int/hrh/resources/gender_equity-health_workforce_analysis/en/

6. https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2020/04/policy-brief-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-women

7. https://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/how-stress-harms-your-physical-and-psychological-health

8. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/16/health/coronavirus-ptsd-medical-workers.html

9. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg5