IFRC reveals women’s vulnerability, lopsided recovery from Covid-19

Apart from losing livelihoods, women also suffered an additional burden on household caregiving and greater impacts on their mental health from the Covid-19 pandemic and the pattern was identified in multiple regions including the Asia Pacific, says a research of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

"Women were 3% more likely to report feeling sad, anxious or worried every day," it states, based on a survey of 6,972 people in Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Fiji, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal and Singapore.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women were 5% more likely to report feeling lonely every day, reveals the same analysis, which is a part of broad-based research "Drowning just below the surface," carried out by the international agencies in association with its programmes in 48 countries and territories.

Findings of the research to assess the devastating socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic on communities and individuals were released on Monday from Geneva, says a press release.

This crisis has caused increased unemployment, poverty and food insecurity, a higher vulnerability to violence and a loss of education, and reduced opportunities for children. It has also exacerbated mental health issues, the research finds.

Releasing the research findings, IFRC President Francesco Rocca said, "Our research shows what we have long suspected and feared, namely that the destructive secondary impacts of this pandemic have damaged the fabric of our society and will be felt for years, if not decades, to come."

People who were already vulnerable, have been pushed further towards the edge and those who were not vulnerable previously are now needing humanitarian support for the first time in their lives – a finding that supports similar research findings by local think tanks Power and Participation Research Centre and Brac Institute of Governance and Development.

The new research provides a global overview that women had more significant impacts on their income, were at greater risk of Covid-19 due to caregiving roles, were more exposed to sexual and gender-based violence and experienced mental health impacts to a greater degree than men.

In urban areas, poverty rates grew, in some cases at a faster pace than in rural areas, the IFRC research said.

People on the move were more likely to lose jobs or have their hours cut during the pandemic and have been widely neglected by formal protection and safeguarding measures, it adds.

Furthermore, a lack of preparedness made it harder for countries to build a comprehensive response to what has simultaneously become a public health emergency, global economic shock, and political and social crisis.

The report also reveals that the world is on course for a wildly unequal recovery, depending on the efficacy and equity of vaccination programmes.

"While we continue to allow profits to trump humanity and richer countries continue to monopolize doses, we will never be able to say that this pandemic is over," warns the chief of the global emergency service provider, urging the world community to "open its eyes and shift from words to action" to save the planet from the risk of uneven and unjust recovery from the pandemic.