INFECTION HEALTH WORKERS HOW WOMEN BEAR THE BRUNT OF PANDEMIC’S TERRIBLE TOLL
COVID-19
110,289
women in Ireland contracted Covid in the first year of the pandemic (52.6%). publicpolicy.ie 1,185
women died of Covid in the first year of the pandemic (47.75%)
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
3,500
women contacted domestic violence organisations for the first time between the months of March and August last year 2,000
women and 400 more than children received help from a domestic violence service each month in the first six months of the pandemic 495
domestic violence cases sent forward for trial last year 243 million
women and girls aged 15-49 globally were subjected to physical/sexual violence over the last 18 months by an intimate partner (UN) 25%
of gardaí who got Covid were women, with higher spikes in some geographical areas 41%
increase in calls to Women’s Aid
21,000
female health workers in Ireland became infected with Covid over a year 37 million female health workers in the EU have been exposed to the virus 80% of workers in the Irish health service are women 70% of the global health workforce is made up of women 38,518
HSE nurses and midwives are women
NURSING
HOMES
880 female nursing home patients died from Covid in the first year of the pandemic 1,209 female nursing home staff in Ireland contracted Covid during January 2021 76%
of staff in residential care homes are women
JOB LOSSES
43,000
female employees lost their part-time employment by the last quarter of 2020. 183,916 women received the
PUP (pandemic unemployment payment) in April 2021 60%
of women aged 15-24 were unemployed at the peak of the pandemic (CSO)
CARERS
85%
of women said their caring responsibilities had increased during lockdown (National Women’s Council survey) 21%
of women cared for a dependent family member or friend due to the pandemic. 15% of men took on caring roles as a result of Covid (CSO,
Employment and Life Effects of Covid 19) 71.5%
of women cared for children, adults or both in their own home 31%
of women cared for older people and/or adults outside their own home (National Women’s Council survey)
CHILDCARE
188,168 women are lone parents 99%
of Irish childcare workers are female 24% of mothers between the ages of 35 and 44 experienced childcare problems 9% of women took unpaid leave during Covid, 0.4% of men
HOMESCHOOLING
73%
of parents of both primary and secondary school students said that the child’s mother or female guardian was the primary support for the child 74%
of women employees with a child at primary school said the closure of schools had an impact on their work (CSO, 2021)