COVID-19 and quarantine's effect on women

[Meow Mix]

This UN report was available since June, I've just gotten around to reading it (https://www.un.org/sexualviolencein...rief-the-impact-of-covid-19-on-women-en-1.pdf).

Some takeaways:

• Women spend 3x as many hours as men in unpaid care and domestic work, with only 63% of women ages 25 to 54 in the labor force (compared to men's 94%)
• Women aged 25 to 34 are 25% more likely to live in extreme poverty globally
• Women spend on average 4.1 hours/day on unpaid domestic work compared to 1.7 hours/day for men
• Women's unpaid contribution to healthcare would be equivalent to 2.35% of global GDP ($1.5 trillion)
• When womens' contribution to all kinds of care is considered, it would be worth $11 trillion
• Emerging data shows that domestic abuse against women has risen dramatically during quarantine, rising as much as 30% in some countries (France, Singapore)

The UN report offers this reasonable goal:

Instead, every COVID-19 response plan, and every recovery package and budgeting of resources, needs to address the gender impacts of this pandemic. This means: (1) including women and women’s organizations at the heart of the COVID-19 response; (2) transforming the inequities of unpaid care work into a new, inclusive care economy that works for everyone; and (3) designing socio-economic plans with an intentional focus on the lives and futures of women and girls.

I will say that while (2) would be nice, I am not sure what that would translate to. The report does not offer specifics and I think it would be nice to have put that one into a think tank.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

My wife works in mental health (albeit she's on maternity leave still currently) and COVID has had a disparate effect on both sufferers of mental illness, and their families as well, including a large number of people who are showing first presentation of symptoms.

This can obviously cause a range of negative outcomes for all involved, but such things cause an increase in domestic violence as well. And women are (of course) over-represented in any measure of victims of domestic violence.
The government here (Australia) has started specific and targeted campaigns addressing the need to respect women, for men to stand up in instances of 'minor' verbal disrespect, etc, as well as for helplines for men to call when under pressure.

No idea what level of impact those things have, but it would seem to back up my wife's professional opinion on the rapid growth of domestic violence, and self-harm which COVID has indirectly led to.

 

[Meow Mix]

My wife works in mental health (albeit she's on maternity leave still currently) and COVID has had a disparate effect on both sufferers of mental illness, and their families as well, including a large number of people who are showing first presentation of symptoms.

This can obviously cause a range of negative outcomes for all involved, but such things cause an increase in domestic violence as well. And women are (of course) over-represented in any measure of victims of domestic violence.
The government here (Australia) has started specific and targeted campaigns addressing the need to respect women, for men to stand up in instances of 'minor' verbal disrespect, etc, as well as for helplines for men to call when under pressure.

No idea what level of impact those things have, but it would seem to back up my wife's professional opinion on the rapid growth of domestic violence, and self-harm which COVID has indirectly led to.

I did wonder, but I hadn't taken the time to look it up quantitatively. Very disheartening, if not unexpected.

As for Australia's programs, that sounds very promising; especially that they are reaching out to men that are victims of abuse too. Toxicity hurts us all, and too often men are chastised for seeking help (by themselves or others) and that has to stop. Kudos to Australia.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I will say that while (2) would be nice, I am not sure what that would translate to. The report does not offer specifics and I think it would be nice to have put that one into a think tank.

There are probably a few ways to do it, but the first thing it brought to my mind was universal basic income.

 

[Meow Mix]

There are probably a few ways to do it, but the first thing it brought to my mind was universal basic income.

I have tried to impartially judge UBI based on data but last time I tried I literally could not find what I would consider to be an appropriately unbiased source. I don't remember the circumstances of what I was trying to find information on now (it was some limited study, somewhere, where a UBI was actually tried).

I am hopeful that this would be a good idea, and I don't really foresee a downside, but I'd like to have facts on my side to declare it so. That being said I certainly think it's worth trying.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

My wife works in mental health (albeit she's on maternity leave still currently) ..

Mazal Tov!

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Some takeaways:

• Women spend 3x as many hours as men in unpaid care and domestic work, with only 63% of women ages 25 to 54 in the labor force (compared to men's 94%)
• Women aged 25 to 34 are 25% more likely to live in extreme poverty globally
• Women spend on average 4.1 hours/day on unpaid domestic work compared to 1.7 hours/day for men
• Women's unpaid contribution to healthcare would be equivalent to 2.35% of global GDP ($1.5 trillion)
• When womens' contribution to all kinds of care is considered, it would be worth $11 trillion
• Emerging data shows that domestic abuse against women has risen dramatically during quarantine, rising as much as 30% in some countries (France, Singapore)

Yes - egregious disparities and all manner of collateral damage abound, and as long as we view society through the lens of privilege we are complicit.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I have tried to impartially judge UBI based on data but last time I tried I literally could not find what I would consider to be an appropriately unbiased source. I don't remember the circumstances of what I was trying to find information on now (it was some limited study, somewhere, where a UBI was actually tried).

I am hopeful that this would be a good idea, and I don't really foresee a downside, but I'd like to have facts on my side to declare it so. That being said I certainly think it's worth trying.

Ontario did a pilot in a few municipalities, but it was cut short about a year into it: when the Conservatives got into office, they immediately cancelled the pilot.

Researchers have reviewed the ~10 months that the program existed. They found that drawing broad conclusions is problematic, considering the short duration, but the results still seemed to be positive overall.

Here's an article with a link to the report:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/basic-income-mcmaster-report-1.5485729