What is impact of Covid-19 on Females?

The pandemic  has  been  a  prolonged  and  major  issue  which  has  been affecting  the  population  for  almost  1.5  years  now.  The  restrictions  on  movements  and  the  various  other  pandemic  related  problems   has  created  quite  a  topsy-turvy  in  everyone’s  life.

The  pandemic  has  been  the  cause  for  many  people’s  loss of  their  jobs,  but  if  we  have  to look  at  it  more  deeply ,  a  feather  to  the  cap  of  problems  has  been added  in  the  lives  of  women  and  girls.

The  women in  our  country  is  already facing  quite  a  number  of  challenges  not  only  in  the  21st  century  but has  been  doing  since  the  age  old  eras,  if  we  look  back  in  time.  So, the  pandemic  and  its  problems  are  an  icing  to  the  cake,  women and  girls  has  been  facing  quite  a  lot  of  issues  since  the  commencement  of  the  pandemic.

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The  pandemic  has  impacted  the  lives  of  the  women  and  girls  in  many  ways 

VOILENCE  AGAINST  WOMEN :-

The  violence  against  women  has  been  an  age  old  issue,  now  with  the ongoing  pandemic women  are  trapped at  home  with  their  abusers  and  are  at  increased  risk  of  other  forms  of  violence.

With  more  people  spending  time  in  “ Home Quarantine” , the  frequency  of  various  online  forms  of  violence against  women  and  girls  in  chat  rooms  ,  gaming  platforms and  more  are  likely  to  increase.

HEALTH  CARE  WORKERS :-

The  pandemic  has  been  put  at  the  bay  ,  we  are  able  to  be  in  our  homes  only  because  of  the  endless  works  of  the  Health Care Workers.  The  pandemic  is  a  reminder of  the  essential  contribution  that  women  make  at  all  levels.

Globally , women  make  up  to  70%  of  the  health  workforce. Despite all this , women are still not given their due position and respect and responsibilities in making decisions in response to COVID 19.

Masks and other protective equipment designed and seized for men leave women at greater risk of exposure. Also , women are still not paid in equal to their male counterparts in these times of the crisis.

WOMEN’S  HEALTH

Our country has already seen its woman and girls struggling with the various sanitation issues, and now to add a cherry to the cake the pandemic situation has made it worse.

The health impacts can be catastrophic, especially in rural , marginalized and low – literacy communities , where women are less likely to have access quality health services.

ECONOMIC SHOCKS 

The economic has seen its worse days in this pandemic period. It is likely that the pandemic could result in a prolonged dip in women’s incomes and labour force participation.

The various lockdown situations and school closures has resulted in the domestic load of women making less able to take on or balance paid work.


YOUNG. WOMEN  AND  GIRLS 

Youth forms the one third of our population. Young boys and girls are the next pillars of this country. Young women , indigenous people, migrants and refugees face heightened socio-economic and health impacts and an increased risk of gender based violence due to movement restrictions and more.

School closures and outstretched health care systems will also have acute effects on young women and girls as they are facing various health issues round the clock.


The poor always had to pay a prize no matter whatever is happening in the country and moreover, women who are poor and marginalized are the ones who are having a cherry on the top, they face an even higher risk of COVID 19 transmission, fatalities, loss of livelihood and increased violence.

70%  of health workers and first responders are women , yet they are not considered at par with their male counterparts.

At 28% , the gender pay gap in the health sector is higher than the overall gender pay gap which is  16%.  In a recent report , it has been intimated that the pandemic will push  96 million people into extreme poverty by 2021 , 47 million of whom are women and girls.

Although when problems like poverty gripple a particular country , it’s neutral towards its victims , but our country uses a different lens to cast it’s glance on male and female population in respect to any occupation or organisation.

Thus , the pandemic-induced poverty surge will also widen the gender poverty gap , more women will be pushed into extreme poverty than men.

If we look at this in numbers then,

Among those aged 25 to 34 , at the height of their production and family formation period will be facing the harsh consequences of the pandemic and poverty induced by it.

In 2021 , an estimation is made that , 118 women aged 24 to 34 will be in extreme poverty for every 100 men aged 25 to 34.

Globally , this ratio will rise to 121 poor women to every 100 women by 2030.

This impact of COVID 19 has been discussed globally as to how it has been affecting the lives of women and girls, 

The United Nations Policy Brief says that 

                “  Across every sphere , from health to the economy, security to social protection, the impacts of COVID 19 are exacerbated for women and girls simply by virtue of their sex. “

The Canadian Human Rights Commission says that 

             “ With the spread of COVID 19 pandemic , says the UN , even the limited gains made in the past decades are at risk of being rolled back “

Also , the mother nature has been showing her wrath on her children more in this pandemic situation.  A lot of natural disasters are seen in these days of crisis.  In such cases , special measures must be implemented to reach to women who may have lost household members , property , fields and animals as women may not be able to meet rescue teams and humanitarian organisation on ground.

There is a need to improve the utilisation of mobile applications by women in fragile settings to report and access services through mobile devices.

The pandemic situation is a difficult time all through the world. But these times are even more harder for women and girls as they had to face a lot due to the stringent conditions of the various lockdown phases and other economic shut downs. 

Although , women all over the world are trying their best to combat this situation but one needs to address the fact that this pandemic has affected women and girls a scale more than the men. Till today , there exist a discrimination of the selfless services of male and female workers on their basis of gender.

Till today we can see that the female population is facing more of the poverty wrath due to pandemic than the male population. All these things are pretty much evident in itself that women and girls are a more bigger victim in the hands of pandemic.

Although, problems when surround never discriminate it’s victims but , the people always discriminate , 

And it is this phenomenon of discrimination of male and female only that the women and girls at a much  bigger risk than males. 

Image Source: BB C

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