There’s no pandemic recovery without a She-covery

Written by the London Community Foundation

Over the past few decades, women have made great strides toward equality. However, COVID-19 has had a profoundly unequal impact on women, their safety, economic well-being and empowerment, as well as their role within the domestic sphere. The pandemic has deepened pre-existing inequities and caused the status of women in our society to regress.

During the pandemic we were told to stay home to control the spread of the virus – but what if staying home is not safe? Unfortunately, this is the harsh reality many women have had to face.

Financial stress, mental health challenges, and increased isolation are all triggers of domestic violence, so it isn’t surprising to hear these issues have been on the rise with the evolution of the pandemic. The stay-at-home orders have made it increasingly difficult for women to escape violent situations or even call for help. Domestic violence has become more hidden as the inability to connect with the outside world increases women’s vulnerability and makes it even more difficult to leave an abusive relationship. This has a significant impact on women, their independence, as well as their overall health and well-being. 

Women’s equality and well-being has also been scarified during the pandemic by way of their economic equality and role within the domestic sphere. Many women have been more steeply affected by job loss and are also bearing the brunt of the childcare and household responsibilities. 

According to RBC data, women’s labour force participation has reached its lowest level in three decades. In April 2020, women’s labour force participation rates dipped to 55% with 1.5 million women in Canada losing their jobs within the first three months of the recession.

This trend has exposed deep structural inequities embedded within our system. Issues such as pay inequity, and the fact that women are more likely to be employed in marginal jobs or caring professions such as health care, child care or long-term care who have been put at increased risk during the pandemic. Furthermore, for many dual income families, women tend to make less money, which, in the absence of childcare, often leads to the decision of women dropping out of the labour force.

As our society begins to emerge from the pandemic and embark on economic recovery, we must ensure we take a gendered lens to policy making. We cannot have post pandemic economic and social recovery without a she-covery. That means access to universal childcare and a society that prioritizes women, their well-being, safety, leadership and role within the labour force.