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.
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.