The shadow pandemic: Inequitable gendered impacts of COVID‐19 in South Africa

Abstract

On March 11, 2020, the outbreak of Novel Coronavirus (SARS‐CoV‐2) Disease, or COVID‐19, was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). As its effects roll through societies and economies across the globe, women are expected to bear the heaviest impact. Unfortunately, despite gender‐focused reporting on the consequences of the COVID‐19 crisis, few government policies and public health efforts have explicitly addressed the gendered impacts of the pandemic. This academic review paper presents literature, from both academic and media sources, on the early effects of the COVID‐19 crisis on women, specifically within the South African context. Preliminary research and reporting of the effects of COVID‐19 on the South African population indicate that inequitable gendered practices negatively impact women in the general economy, the workplace, and the home. These settings are discussed in this article, along with recommendations to ameliorate the lived experiences of South African women.

Gender and pandemic perception: analyzing perceived risk and fear among Brazilian women

“…The social and economic consequences of the pandemic have disproportionately affected women (WHO, n.d. ). In low- and middle-income countries, women were most affected by measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic in several aspects (Alon, Doepke, Olmstead-Rumsey, & Tertilt, 2020 ; Parry & Gordon, 2021 ). For example, among the most economically vulnerable female segments, there was a decrease or loss of income due to the interruption of paid activities related to domestic work (such as cleaning and caring for children and the elderly) and restriction of access and circulation in public spaces, where they exercised informal activities (Wenham, Smith, & Morgan, 2020 ).…”

Policy Responses and Social Solidarity Imperatives to Respond the COVID-19 Pandemic Socioeconomic Crises in Ethiopia

“…12 The economic impact the COVID-19 pandemic entailed affected not only the previously unemployed and already at-risk groups but also private employees, self-employed, informal operators, manufacturing, construction, trading, retail, hospitality, and tourism sectors. Studies 25 , 30 revealed that, at a base scenario, globally 1.6 to 2.4 million and in worst-case scenario 3.2 to 4 million workers may lose their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Ethiopia, 1.5 million private employees and 3.1 million self-employed workers are affected by the pandemic.…”

Mujeres, trabajo doméstico y covid-19: explorando el incremento en la desigualdad de género causada por la covid-19

“…Este estudio es sólo un ejemplo de la investigación que se está haciendo sobre este tema. Recientemente, se ha publicado una cantidad sustancial de estudios e investigación sobre los impactos de la desigualdad de género causados por la COVID-19 en diferentes países como Sudáfrica (Parry & Gordon, 2021), Estados Unidos (Bahn et al, 2020;Raile et al, 2020), Israel (Kristal & Yaish, 2020), Alemania, (Czymara et al, 2021;Power, 2020), el Reino Unido (Fisher & Ryan, 2021;Oreffice & Quintana-Domeque, 2021;Xue & McMunn, 2021), España (Farre et al, 2020), Europa (Cook & Grimshaw, 2021), Vietnam (Dang & Viet Nguyen, 2021), y México (Amilpas García, 2020Manrique De Lara & De Jesús Medina Arellano, 2020). Sin embargo, se debe fomentar más investigación en este rubro, especialmente en México.…”