"How the coronavirus crisis is hurting women"

Article here. Excerpt:

'Although Covid-19 appears to kill more men than women – the Italian Higher Institute of Health has observed a mortality rate of 7.2% for men compared to 4.1% for women – it is women who are on the frontline of the fight against the disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), women represent 70% of workers in the health and social sector, though in the Chinese province of Hubei – the epicenter of the outbreak – that figure stands at 90%. Women are also primarily responsible for caring for children and the elderly. And they are in a more financially vulnerable position than men – in Europe, the employment rate for women is 65% compared to 78% for men – an issue that will be exacerbated by the economic fallout of the crisis. And yet, still no political or health authority has analyzed the impact of the coronavirus from a gender perspective.

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According to the head of UN Women, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcukai, the economic issue will soon develop into another acute problem: “Majority of women work in the informal economy, where health insurance is likely to be non-existent or inadequate, and income is not secure. Because they are not well targeted for bailouts, they are financially on their own. This is not simply a health issue for many women; it goes to the heart of gender equality.”

The closure of schools in countries affected by the coronavirus certainly does not help women, many of whom are forced to combine the stress of teleworking – often for the first time – with childcare, which in most countries is still the women’s exclusive domain. This is compounded by mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, which in Europe are predominantly suffered by women.'