‘Recognise child care as unpaid labour’
NEW REPORT REVEALS HOW COVID HAS WORSENED GENDER INEQUALITY
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on women’s livelihoods, with unpaid care work adding disproportionately to their burden, a hard-hitting global report released yesterday, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, has revealed.
Speaking exclusively to Gulf News from Seattle ahead of its launch, Anita Zaidi, president of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Gender Equality Division, which partnered with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) to issue the report, said: “Globally, Covid-19 has exacerbated gender inequality. The pandemic has exposed a lack of recognition on how much the world’s economy depends on women’s unpaid labour.
“Women today are currently spending more than 30 hours per week on childcare, which is almost like a full-time job.”
She said, “This is something we want to call attention to, so that governments looking to build out of the crisis can address the issue.”
Women today are currently spending more than 30 hours per week on childcare, which is almost like a full-time job.”
Anita Zaidi | President of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Gender Equality Division
Who are the worst-hit?
The report says groups worst affected include: Women in informal employment with no paid leave, social protection or ability to work remotely; women living in rural areas with limited access to time- and labour-saving equipment, public services, and infrastructure; women living in poverty; single mothers; essential workers; adolescent girls; and women belonging to minority racial and ethnic groups.
Are young girls impacted?
Adolescent girls are also being pulled into providing increased amounts of childcare in their households. In an Ipsos poll, 64 per cent of parents noted greater involvement of daughters in unpaid care work due to Covid-19, compared to just 57 per cent of parents who noted greater involvement of sons.
Domestic violence
The report also says, “It is also important to acknowledge the situation faced by millions of households globally, where not only are men failing to help out during school and childcare closures, but they are also committing increased levels of domestic violence. As Covid-19 lockdowns persist, women are increasingly vulnerable to domestic violence as a result of social isolation, restricted movement, and economic insecurity.”
Have both women and men sacrificed careers?
The report quotes a LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index, a survey of 2,254 professionals conducted in July and August 2020 in India, which finds that 31 per cent of working mothers surveyed are currently providing full-time childcare, compared to just 17 per cent of working fathers.
Why are women being squeezed out?
The report says that “because they tend to be the lower income earners”. It says data from ILO labour force surveys reveals a significant decline in employment in the second quarter of 2020. This relative decline in employment is greater for women than for men in all countries, with only a few exceptions such as France, Israel and Mexico.