Women are at the forefront of the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, as they make up almost 70 percent of the healthcare workforce, exposing them to greater risk of infection. At the same time, women are also shouldering much of the burden at home, given school and child care facility closures and longstanding gender inequalities in unpaid work. Women also face high risks of job and income loss, and face increased risks of gender-based violence, exploitation, abuse, or harassment during times of crisis and quarantine.
This resource recommends that policy responses be immediate and that they account for women’s concerns. It emphasises that governments should consider adopting emergency measures to help parents manage work and caring responsibilities, reinforcing and extending income support measures, expanding support for small businesses and the self-employed, and improving measure to help women victims of violence.