This appeared in the FPJ

The victims of COVID go beyond those who have been infected by it. The worldwide lockdowns accompanying the coronavirus have put people’s livelihood in danger, and it is showing. 2.7 billion people, or 81% of the world’s workforce have been impacted by COVID. Many have lost their jobs. across the world are slipping back into poverty – a 100 million of them. The impact is especially great on those in marginalised communities, and on women.  It is estimated that nearly 40% of women employed globally work in sectors most impacted by the shut down of travel, and public spaces like malls – hospitality and retail. The economic impact of COVID on women is dire, and is likely, according to the UN, to do decades of modest gains in gender parity at the workplace.

The COVID outbreak, that started in the wet markets of Wuhan last November, has spread across  the world, wrecking economies and lives along its way. Around 15 million people have been infected, with over six hundred thousand deaths. The United States, Brazil, and India are the top three nations that are facing the onslaught of the coronavirus, accounting for almost 50% of all the cases in the world.  While China has reported a 3.2% growth in its GDP, most other nations are struggling to come out of the lockdown.  India’s lockdown has seen a loss in jobs, a pause on economic activities, and a struggle to get the economy back on the rails. A recent prediction indicates a 7.5% contraction in the Indian economy, and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that 400 million people will fall into poverty – mostly those working in the informal sector.  According to CMIE, 29% of men, and 40% of women lost employment. Women face a double whammy here. Many works at lower wages than men in the informal sector, and now that source of income is gone. Across the world you see factories where women worked as daily wage workers – textiles, handicrafts, food processing, shoe manufacturing – all shut. Service areas like housekeeping, house cleaning, cooking, beauty, and hair dressing, have all taken a huge hit.

Many of the schemes run by governments regarding women’s health and maternal mortality have also been impacted, as public health resources have been diverted to fight the pandemic.   Across the world women are facing difficulties accessing birth control and abortion, worldwide. In India, it is estimated that COVID prevented 1.85 million women from getting abortions. Although abortions were listed as essential services in India there was a lockdown on transportation, and medical services were too busy fighting the coronavirus.

And, finally there is the issue of domestic violence.  Across the world, some men are beating up the women in their household.  And, these numbers are just rising. With increased unemployment, the increased stress levels from being cramped up in closed quarters, and the general propensity of some men towards violence towards women have all exacerbated this spike in domestic violence cases. Women seem to have no place to go, no place to run, as social distancing, cut in services, have meant they have nowhere to turn to.

According to the UN, for the first time since measurement began, the ‘combined measure of the world’s education, health, and living standards’ are likely to decline this year. As we see the lockdown continue in many parts of thew world, some enforced by the state, others out of choice for safety – what we see is the gradual whittling away of income, jobs, and gender equality.

But, maybe COVID offers us a chance to redraw the way the world is shaped. According to the UN’s figures, women carry out 2.5 times more unpaid household and care work than men . And, this is never counted as work, nor paid for as work.  With the lockdown and many of us doing all the housework ourselves, the understanding of how much ‘work’ this is, apparent. And in most households, this is for free. Without this solid base of work done by the woman, the rest of the household will not be able to function effectively. it is time for the governments of the world to recognise women’s work, household work, as work – and pay for it.  

For India, to reverse the economic contraction, the simplest way would be to declare a woman’s income and ensure that every woman is paid it. On an average, Indian women put in 10 times more time on unpaid housework than men. While it might be impossible to put a value on all of it, or pay for all of it – can we start thinking of a women’s wage – a monthly pay-out that goes towards some of that labour? The economic security that this income brings will have manifold advantages. With the average household income increasing, there will be expenditure on both essentials and non-essentials, leading to demand being spurred, and supply increasing to meet this demand – getting the economy out of the doldrums. Also, with the woman of the household having some level of economic independence, it is likely that she may be more physically secure from the violence of her man.
the new normal needs to recognise the contribution of women to the household and the economy in terms of their labour.  And, this needs to be paid for by the state that benefits so much from it. This will not just give women the economic independence that they need – it may also lead to reduction in the chronic violence faced by us.