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| How Women are Getting Squeezed by the Pandemic | How Women are Getting Squeezed by the Pandemic |
| (3 days later) | |
| — Nahla Valji, the senior gender adviser to the Secretary General of the United Nations | — Nahla Valji, the senior gender adviser to the Secretary General of the United Nations |
| In Her Words is available as a newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. | In Her Words is available as a newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. |
| The coronavirus has worsened existing social and economic inequalities, especially for women. | The coronavirus has worsened existing social and economic inequalities, especially for women. |
| While both women and men are suffering the economic fallout of the virus across the world, it is women — already more likely to be in poverty than men, already more likely to be earning a smaller paycheck, already with less savings, already more likely to be in precarious jobs — who are being disproportionately squeezed. | While both women and men are suffering the economic fallout of the virus across the world, it is women — already more likely to be in poverty than men, already more likely to be earning a smaller paycheck, already with less savings, already more likely to be in precarious jobs — who are being disproportionately squeezed. |
| Add to that, the next-to-invisible but overwhelming burden of unpaid labor, the bulk of which is shouldered by women in every country in the world. | Add to that, the next-to-invisible but overwhelming burden of unpaid labor, the bulk of which is shouldered by women in every country in the world. |
| The virus has exposed gender fault lines in myriad ways. And it raises questions: What do we know so far? What will we learn from it? How will things look on the other side? | The virus has exposed gender fault lines in myriad ways. And it raises questions: What do we know so far? What will we learn from it? How will things look on the other side? |
| I asked Nahla Valji, the senior gender adviser to the secretary general of the United Nations, and Alisha Haridasani Gupta, gender reporter for In Her Words, to unpack these issues with me. | I asked Nahla Valji, the senior gender adviser to the secretary general of the United Nations, and Alisha Haridasani Gupta, gender reporter for In Her Words, to unpack these issues with me. |
| You can listen to our discussion here, or read the edited excerpts below. | You can listen to our discussion here, or read the edited excerpts below. |
| Francesca Donner: We know that economies the world over have been ravaged. What does this mean for women in particular? | Francesca Donner: We know that economies the world over have been ravaged. What does this mean for women in particular? |
| Nahla Valji: Crises amplify existing inequalities, and so across the world women are being affected more severely by the socioeconomic impacts of this pandemic. This is because in every country women earn less, they save less, they’re more likely to be in precarious jobs with little security or protections if they do work, or in the informal sector, with no protections at all. And that means that they have less buffer to economic shocks, such as the ones we are experiencing. | Nahla Valji: Crises amplify existing inequalities, and so across the world women are being affected more severely by the socioeconomic impacts of this pandemic. This is because in every country women earn less, they save less, they’re more likely to be in precarious jobs with little security or protections if they do work, or in the informal sector, with no protections at all. And that means that they have less buffer to economic shocks, such as the ones we are experiencing. |
| Then, when we start to drill down into specific groups we see, for example, that the majority of single parent households are women. The majority of refugees and internally displaced individuals around the world are women and girls. So there’s layers of inequality here. | Then, when we start to drill down into specific groups we see, for example, that the majority of single parent households are women. The majority of refugees and internally displaced individuals around the world are women and girls. So there’s layers of inequality here. |
| What we’ve learned from past pandemics is that while everyone suffers economically in the short term, men’s incomes tend to return to some degree of normalcy much faster. For women, the economic shocks last longer. | What we’ve learned from past pandemics is that while everyone suffers economically in the short term, men’s incomes tend to return to some degree of normalcy much faster. For women, the economic shocks last longer. |
| That’s a grim picture. Alisha, can you paint the economic picture for women in the U.S. specifically? | That’s a grim picture. Alisha, can you paint the economic picture for women in the U.S. specifically? |
| Alisha Haridasani Gupta: There’s a very real push and pull here. On one hand, women make up the essential workers on the front lines. The New York Times analyzed government data and found that one in three jobs that have been designated essential in this pandemic is held by a woman — jobs like health care workers (around 78 percent are women), cashiers at grocery stores, drugstore pharmacists. Women are doing crucial work, but it’s underpaid and undervalued. | Alisha Haridasani Gupta: There’s a very real push and pull here. On one hand, women make up the essential workers on the front lines. The New York Times analyzed government data and found that one in three jobs that have been designated essential in this pandemic is held by a woman — jobs like health care workers (around 78 percent are women), cashiers at grocery stores, drugstore pharmacists. Women are doing crucial work, but it’s underpaid and undervalued. |
| On the other hand, women in nonessential work — retail, for example — are being laid off. Historically, economic crises have hit industries that are male-dominated like manufacturing, agriculture, mining, but this time it’s the inverse. In Minnesota, for example, every week more women than men are filing for unemployment. | On the other hand, women in nonessential work — retail, for example — are being laid off. Historically, economic crises have hit industries that are male-dominated like manufacturing, agriculture, mining, but this time it’s the inverse. In Minnesota, for example, every week more women than men are filing for unemployment. |
| It’s hard to talk about paid work without acknowledging the unpaid labor at home — things like cooking, cleaning, caring for kids or aging parents — the work people do because they have to. Nahla, can you speak to the effect that the coronavirus has had on unpaid labor, and what that means for women? | It’s hard to talk about paid work without acknowledging the unpaid labor at home — things like cooking, cleaning, caring for kids or aging parents — the work people do because they have to. Nahla, can you speak to the effect that the coronavirus has had on unpaid labor, and what that means for women? |
| Nahla: It’s one of the starkest consequences that we’re seeing from this crisis. The care work in the home has really grown exponentially with children out of school. We have elder care needs that have increased, we have health systems that are overwhelmed and people who are sick and still require assistance that are now at home. And historically, traditionally, these responsibilities have fallen on the shoulders of women in the home. As you said, disproportionately, women do more of the work in the home than men — the global average is three times more but that varies geographically and country by country. In some countries, it’s six or seven times more | Nahla: It’s one of the starkest consequences that we’re seeing from this crisis. The care work in the home has really grown exponentially with children out of school. We have elder care needs that have increased, we have health systems that are overwhelmed and people who are sick and still require assistance that are now at home. And historically, traditionally, these responsibilities have fallen on the shoulders of women in the home. As you said, disproportionately, women do more of the work in the home than men — the global average is three times more but that varies geographically and country by country. In some countries, it’s six or seven times more |
| And, you know, this really underpins so many of the inequalities that women experience. These are hours that could be spent on income generation. It’s at the heart of the motherhood penalty, wage inequality, structural biases in recruitment and promotion of women and jobs — and the pandemic is really making visible. | And, you know, this really underpins so many of the inequalities that women experience. These are hours that could be spent on income generation. It’s at the heart of the motherhood penalty, wage inequality, structural biases in recruitment and promotion of women and jobs — and the pandemic is really making visible. |
| Our formal economy is only possible because it’s subsidized by women’s unpaid work. And so we have almost this black box over the home and everything that happens there has a zero dollar value on it. We don’t have adequate child care anywhere in the world. As social services, social protections and health care access decrease, we put more strain on the home. And I think that’s becoming really visible at the moment with this crisis. | Our formal economy is only possible because it’s subsidized by women’s unpaid work. And so we have almost this black box over the home and everything that happens there has a zero dollar value on it. We don’t have adequate child care anywhere in the world. As social services, social protections and health care access decrease, we put more strain on the home. And I think that’s becoming really visible at the moment with this crisis. |
| Updated June 12, 2020 | |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. |
| Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. | Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,” says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.” Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| So we need to be thinking about how we rebuild in a way that’s more equitable. And that will also ensure that we’re more resilient to future shocks. So any conversation that we’re having with regards to building back better, we really need to place the care economy at the center of our economic models. | So we need to be thinking about how we rebuild in a way that’s more equitable. And that will also ensure that we’re more resilient to future shocks. So any conversation that we’re having with regards to building back better, we really need to place the care economy at the center of our economic models. |
| And this is happening even in countries we think of as very female favorable… | And this is happening even in countries we think of as very female favorable… |
| Alisha: Right. I’ve really been thinking a lot about what might be a possible cultural shift here. I spoke to an economics professor at Northwestern University, Matthias Doepke, who said something that stuck with me: For many families where women are the essential paid workers — for example, nurses, doctors, grocery cashiers — all of those families might, for the first time, have a situation where the woman is out working and perhaps the husband is at home. So this might force a change in that the men have to suddenly start cooking and cleaning and taking care of the kids. I don’t know how long term that might be, but there is evidence to show that even if you have a temporary shift in the care burden it tends to last. So, I don’t know that you could call it a silver lining, but it might be interesting to watch going forward. | Alisha: Right. I’ve really been thinking a lot about what might be a possible cultural shift here. I spoke to an economics professor at Northwestern University, Matthias Doepke, who said something that stuck with me: For many families where women are the essential paid workers — for example, nurses, doctors, grocery cashiers — all of those families might, for the first time, have a situation where the woman is out working and perhaps the husband is at home. So this might force a change in that the men have to suddenly start cooking and cleaning and taking care of the kids. I don’t know how long term that might be, but there is evidence to show that even if you have a temporary shift in the care burden it tends to last. So, I don’t know that you could call it a silver lining, but it might be interesting to watch going forward. |
| Nahla: There’s a possibility we’ll come out of this with some positives. We’re seeing a lot more acceptance of flexible work arrangements and telecommuting that might help all of us rebalance work and family life in a different way. That would be positive for equality. | Nahla: There’s a possibility we’ll come out of this with some positives. We’re seeing a lot more acceptance of flexible work arrangements and telecommuting that might help all of us rebalance work and family life in a different way. That would be positive for equality. |
| But we need women in positions of leadership to ensure that solutions are informed by a diversity of views and experiences. Because if not, we could deepen inequalities. One example of that is the discussion about how we reopen countries that have been on lockdown. How do we sequence businesses and schools? If schools are staying shut, but the economy is opening, there’s an expectation that one parent is going to stay at home. And because of traditional norms and gender roles and because of wage inequality, the likelihood is that it ends up being the woman who stays home. | But we need women in positions of leadership to ensure that solutions are informed by a diversity of views and experiences. Because if not, we could deepen inequalities. One example of that is the discussion about how we reopen countries that have been on lockdown. How do we sequence businesses and schools? If schools are staying shut, but the economy is opening, there’s an expectation that one parent is going to stay at home. And because of traditional norms and gender roles and because of wage inequality, the likelihood is that it ends up being the woman who stays home. |
| And so we potentially risk taking ourselves backward in terms of women’s labor force participation, equality, and more generally, with regards to the division of labor. | And so we potentially risk taking ourselves backward in terms of women’s labor force participation, equality, and more generally, with regards to the division of labor. |
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