Impact of COVID on Women Employment – UPSC GS1

During the lockdown, job losses were disproportionately high for women as compared to men.

Job security for men is high: 61% of male workers were unaffected during the lockdown while only 19% of women experienced this kind of security.

Male-dominated work culture: 47% of employed women who had lost jobs during the lockdown, had not returned to work whereas it was only 7%, in the case of Men.

Despite the nature of Industry, Women lost a greater number of Jobs compared to Men. For instance, in the education and Health industry.

More fallback options for men: Between 2019-2020, 33% of formal salaried men moved into self-employment and 9% into daily wage work. In contrast, only 4% and 3% of formal salaried women moved into self-employment and daily wage work.

Burden of care: This is one of the major reasons for poor employment recovery among Women.

During the lockdown, women’s domestic work increased manifold.

Among employed men, the number of hours spent on paid work remained more or less unchanged after the pandemic.

But for women, the number of hours spent in domestic work increased manifold. This increase in hours came without any accompanying relief in the hours spent on paid work.

Expanding the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)

Introduction of an urban employment guarantee targeted towards women.

Setting up of community kitchens.

Prioritizing the opening of schools and Anganwadi centers

Engagement with self-help groups for the production of personal protective equipment kits

A COVID-19 hardship allowance of ₹5,000 per month for six months can be announced for 2.5 million accredited social health activists and Anganwadi workers, most of whom are women.