Imperatives of recognising the complexities: gendered impacts and responses to COVID-19 in India

Abstract

This paper argues that the gendered impact of COVID-19 has both visible and hidden dimensions, and both immediate effects linked with lockdowns and longer-term effects that are likely to emerge sequentially in time and affect recovery. Much of the existing feminist literature on the impact of COVID-19 has neglected these complexities and focused mainly on care work and domestic violence. This has diverted attention away from other key concerns such as livelihood loss, food and nutritional insecurity, indebtedness, rising poverty, and the low resilience of most women in developing economies. Even care work and domestic violence have complex facets that tend to be missed. Using examples from India, the paper outlines the kinds of gendered effects we might expect, the extent to which these have been traced in existing surveys, and the data gaps. It also highlights the potential of group approaches in enhancing women’s economic recovery and providing social protection from the worst outcomes of the pandemic—approaches that could guide us towards effective policy pathways for ‘building back better.’

The COVID-19 pandemic and the livelihood of a vulnerable population: Evidence from women street vendors in urban Vietnam

“…Our results are in line with other findings in the Global South ( SEWA-Bharat, 2020 ; Turner et al, 2021 ). Similar to high-interest loans from moneylenders, sales of assets might push them into more trouble and potentially mark a slide into poverty ( Agarwal, 2021 ; Guha et al, 2021 ; Turner et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Accordingly, some vendors borrowed from moneylenders at high interest rates, while some sold their durable assets in response to income shocks ( Guha et al, 2021 ; Martínez et al, 2021 ; Turner et al, 2021 ). Consequently, with low repayment capacity and loss of productive assets, they may get into trouble or fall into (deeper) poverty over the long term ( Agarwal, 2021 ; Guha et al, 2021 ; Turner et al, 2021 ).…”

Gendered Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Behaviors in North Africa: Cases of Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia

“…Recent research has shown that women are disproportionately impacted by health and economic crises in various ways, including food security and nutrition, access to health facilities, services, and economic opportunities, and gender-based violence [ 19 ]. In addition, numerous studies have shown that the COVID-19 epidemic had a more significant impact on women than men [ 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. While fatality rates are higher for men globally, the crisis’s socio-economic effects are particularly severe for women [ 19 , 25 , 26 ].…”

Resilient women scientists and the COVID-19 pandemic: an OWSD analysis

“…The health consequences and economic impact have strained systems and further exacerbated the frailties of developing countries. Multiple studies have been carried out on the effects of COVID-19: its origins, economic impact, weaknesses of healthcare systems around the world and the differential effects on men and women's health and career progression (Agarwal, 2021a(Agarwal, , 2021b. Since explicit data from specific countries are still very limited, reliable comparisons are difficult to undertake.…”