Inequality & the Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic stalled progress on gender parity — here’s what happened.

• The covid-19 pandemic led to unprecedented national lockdowns from February 2020 onwards, causing economic shockwaves and job losses around the world.
• In January 2021, a year into the pandemic, an estimate from the International Labor Organisation put the global loss of earnings at $3.7 trillion and said women and young workers had been hit hardest.
• An early analysis, from July 2020 from business consultancy Mckinsey said that women’s jobs were 1.8 times more vulnerable to the crisis than men’s.
• In addition, studies showed that women were more likely to be taking on extra care responsibilities and were leaving work to teach their children during school closures.
• The combined effects led to commentators referring to a “female recession” — an economic recession affecting women — that was global in nature.
• There was also what was termed a “shadow pandemic” of increased rates of domestic violence affecting women and men, but statistically more women, as people were forced to spend more time at home.