While Covid-19 is undoubtedly considered a pandemic, in the broad scheme of things, it is a matter of factors regarding health, economic, and social. Various studies have shown that women are more affected by Covid-19 in terms of the increased burden of unpaid care work, domestic violence, job loss, lack of access to reproductive health care services, restricted mobility, and so on. The covid-19 pandemic deeply influences women, men, girls, boys, and other genders differently. For the impact of a major pandemic like Covid-19. It was being too much hard for both men and women economically and socially to survive. Due to the complexities in the social climate and regulatory structure, women strengthening is more challenging. Control over certain changes in the way of living is an essential segment of the idea of empowerment. Many social and operational requirements keep on confining women from the beginning and running financial undertakings. However, the development of women’s empowerment can offer excellent opportunities for the development of one-half of the population and the overall socio-economic progress of any country. The need for studies to assess the factors that can be vital in the post-Covid-19 arena for women and another policymaker. If any study can identify what are the perception of them regarding the aspects of women empowerment that can be crucial after Covid-19, it will benefit both women and society.
However, men make up the majority of those who have died from the virus (Young, 2020). Women and girls pass through disproportionate care burdens. They endure disruptions in income and education, poor access to health and other essential services, greater risk of being dispossessed of land and property (COVID-19 and Women’s Economic Empowerment – World, 2020). Also, undergo with gender digital and pay gaps. For a working person, these impacts can be a shock to their economic stability overall and impede their ability to purchase critical necessities, such as medicine and food. Most healthcare workers are women and many of them are in the social care workforce (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). Women considerably are the majority of workers who are in highest exposure to Covid-19. Out of every worker in ‘high risk’ roles, most of them are women (Overview of the Health and Social Care Workforce, 2012). Young women are disproportionately likely to work in the sectors that have been hit hardest by the lock-down. Many young women worked in sectors that have been closed down including restaurants, shops, leisure facilities, and travel and tourism. Women are paid much lower than men are and more vulnerable to insecure employment. Women are the majority of low-paid earners the majority of those in part-time employment, involuntary part-time employment, temporary employment, zero-hours contracts, and part-time self-employment (Unequal Impact? Coronavirus and the Gendered Economic Impact – Women and Equalities Committee – House of Commons, 2021). Women are the majority of people living in poverty and female-headed households are more likely to be poor (Thomas, 2016). For example, almost half of the lone parents (most of them are women) are living in poverty. Women are also in inferior positions in the labor market on average, and therefore more likely to withstand the worst of the economic fallout. Many working women already realize how much Covid-19 has directly affected society, the economy, and our everyday lives. Women are disproportionately affected and experience from previous pandemics and economic shocks are clear to them. So, women’s economic security and participation in formal work will be adversely affected. It goes beyond more than of men, in the similar spheres. These impacts will be more long-lasting.
According to Morshed & Haque (2015), empowerment is a process that enables individuals or groups to change the balance of power through an exchange of experience, expertise, technology, and expertise as well as diffusing innovative techniques for strengthening self-reliance. Practically, women bring motivation; they have a vision that is different, realistic, modern, and enthusiastic. When civil society and social structures leave them on the possibility for evolving their careers, women take their initiative. Thus, advancing women’s strength through aptitude and business the public authority of any agricultural nation can guarantee the opportunity of decision and superior nature of social living for people. Coronavirus has influenced the women in the world antagonistically regarding work market investment, decreased profit, confronting more noteworthy viciousness, and hence put their vocations in more danger. The opportunity has already come and gone that we recognize the huge snowball impacts of these issues in Bangladesh and find a way to determine them sincerely. Due to persistent gender inequalities across many dimensions, women’s jobs, businesses, incomes, and wider living standards might be more presented than men’s to the foreseen boundless financial aftermath from the emergency (Women at the Core of the Fight against COVID-19 Crisis, 2020). These elements hinder women and young girls from accomplishing the most noteworthy conceivable norm of care. When ongoing and non-pandemic-related wellbeing concerns endure, this will have solid ramifications for women and young women’s wellbeing and prosperity, especially on those with basic ailments. While the financial and social effects on all are extreme, they are all the more so for women. A considerable lot of ventures in the proper economy are legitimately influenced by isolates and lockdowns, similar to travel, the travel industry, cafés, food creation, have high female workforce cooperation. Women also constitute a large percentage of the informal economy in informal markets and workplaces around the world. In both developed and developing economies, women who typically lack health insurance and have no social security mostly do many informal sector jobs such as domestic workers, caregivers (Women and COVID-19: Five Things Governments Can Do Now, 2020). Aside from the immediate effects of the sickness, women may think that it is difficult to get too many required maternal health and well-being services that are given that all administrations are being coordinated to basic clinical necessities. Now, it is being more critical for governments, NGO’s and the private sector to include women’s economic empowerment as an essential component of Covid-19 responses.
Reference
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Morshed, F., & Haque, E. (2015). Impact of women entrepreneurship on women empowerment in Bangladesh. Journal of Economics and sustainable development, 6(1).
Overview of the health and social care workforce. (2012, November 12). The King’s Fund. https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/projects/time-think-differently/trends-workforce-overview
Thomas, F. (2016). Climate change and health.
Unequal impact? Coronavirus and the gendered economic impact – Women and Equalities Committee – House of Commons. (2021). www.Parliament.Uk. https://publications.parliament.uk
U.S. Census Bureau. (2020, August 18). Your Health Care Is in Women’s Hands. The United States Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/08/your-health-care-in-womens-hands
Women and COVID-19: Five things governments can do now. (2020). UN Women. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/3/news-women-and-covid-19-governments-actions-by-ded-bhatia
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Young, A. (2020, March 31). Coronavirus: Why do more men die of Covid-19 than women? France 24. https://www.france24.com/en/20200331-coronavirus-why-do-more-men-die-of-covid-19-than-women
Author: Md. Mahfuzur Rahman Khan. He is an academic writer and sole researcher, currently doing his Masters in Industrial Relations and Labor Studies in the Institute of Social Welfare & Research. His thirst for research makes him more passionate about academic writings and research work. Coming from a business background, he worked for a marketing agency for some years before linking with his passion field. Corresponding e-mail: [email protected]