In this small article, I will try to take the lid off some gendered impacts that Covid-19 is having on our society, that you may or may not be aware of. Let me start by bringing some existing research to highlight the different realities that women are or could be facing in light of this pandemic.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Many latin American countries have reported a significant increase in cases on domestic violence and murders of women and girls since stay-at-home orders were set up to contain the virus. Women are scared to stay at home and are risking exposure to the virus than facing rising violence at home. To highlight the seriousness of this issue, here are some examples: In Colombia, calls to a domestic violence helpline have jumped by 91% since stay-at-home orders were put in place. In Mexico, they’ve jumped by 36%. In Argentina, where 7 out of 10 murders of women and girls happen at home, emergency calls for domestic violence cases have increased by 25%. And in Bolivia, the city of Santa Cruz has reported the highest number of cases of both domestic violence and COVID-19. Alongside Paraguay, Bolivia also has the highest prevalence of murders of women and girls in South America.
LABOR MARKET
More women than men work in some of the hardest-hit industries, such as retail, hospitality, and tourism. Due to this pandemic, in the Caribbean, where many economies depend heavily on tourism, some countries will see half of the working population lose their jobs. Women will likely experience a significant burden on their time given their multiple care responsibilities as school closure and confinement measures are adopted. This could lead to reductions in working time and permanent exit from the labor market.
AND FINALLY… SPORTS
This year, women’s sport was taking center stage worldwide, with its superb athleticism, heroic victories, and indomitable star power. This was supposed to be the year of women’s sports. With hundreds of millions tuned in to ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in cricket, a billion people watching football’s World Cup, and the very proponents like Megan Rapinoe and Serena Williams, calls for gender equity have not only grown louder but have made strides.
That is until Covid-19 stalled sports everywhere.
Covid-19 suspended sports indefinitely. The Olympics were postponed for a year. We will not see Serena Williams at Wimbledon seeking a 24th Grand Slam title. All the momentum that had been gathered steadily for the past few years is now lost. In football, as the lockdown is slowly being lifted, Men’s league squad started non-contact training from 19th of May, with championship players hoping to follow suit from 25th May. What worries me here is that according to sources at several clubs, Women’s Super League and Championship teams are assuming their season will not resume. An FA spokesperson said on 18th of May that it was "continuing to consult" with clubs on the "possibility of terminating" the WSL and Women's Championship season, adding it is "clear that there will be significant challenges" in completing the campaign.
FiFPro, the global union for professional soccer players, released a major report titled “Raising Our Game: Lifting up Women’s Professional Football” about short seasons and financial shortcomings being a burden for players, even though the game is growing. Earlier report in April focussed specifically on COVID-19’s impact on the women’s game. According to the report, “the current situation is likely to present an almost existential threat to the women’s game if no specific consideration are given to protect the women’s football industry.”
Moreover, FIFA promised that it will not reduce the funding it pledged for women’s soccer but it also has a dismal record when it comes to supporting the women’s game. For example, we still don’t have any information about the city where 2023 world cup will be hosted whereas Qatar found out about 2022 men’s World Cup back in 2010. Even before the pandemic, FIFA refused to prioritize the biggest women’s tournament in the world.
Despite all the predictions that are being made, let’s not lose hope. I would like to end this article on a positive note stating that Women’s sport is good at innovation, at making something out of little and doing it well. Phaedra Knight, a former rugby player and foundation ambassador for the Women’s Sports Foundation, recently told Fobes that she felt OK about women’s sports precisely because of how its institutions have fought to get where they are now, “There’s an opportunity for women to come out of this thing strong”, she said “Women’s sports are used to surviving off bare minimum and making something out of nothing. It's just what we do. It's the nature of our existence as athletes.”
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