Women around the world are one of the groups most affected by the economic and social impact that the pandemic brought and will leave us.
In the case of Mexico, women are among the most exposed and affected by covid-19, since they represent 70% of personnel dedicated to health and services.
This was explained by Mónica Flores, President of Manpower for Latin America in a virtual discussion organized by the Commission for Gender Equality of the Senate of the Republic.
"We are overrepresented in positions of risk in health in the area of nursing, hospital cleaning and in those positions that are most impacted by this pandemic, that is, in tourist and commercial services," he said.
For its part, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) published last March the report "COVID-19: A gender approach", which highlights that disease outbreaks affect men and women differently, and that pandemics worsen the inequalities that women and girls already face.
Five new steps towards gender equality
1. First, they must ensure that the needs of doctors and nurses are truly addressed and met in each area of their professional performance. And they don't just talk about suits, gloves and masks.
“At a minimum, it means ensuring that menstrual hygiene products are available to caregivers and first responders. They must be part of the personal protection team, ”says Anita Bhatia, deputy director of UN Women.
Additionally, the study “COVID-19: A gender approach” indicates that special attention should be paid to how their work environment can expose them to discrimination, as well as to their sexual and reproductive health and psychosocial needs as first-class health workers. line.
2. Ensure that hotlines and services dedicated to victims of domestic violence are considered essential services. This implies that they are always open and that the security agencies are aware of the importance of responding promptly and efficiently to victims.
3. Support and stimulus measures offered by governments must include social protection measures that reflect the special circumstances of women. What does this imply? Grant sick leave and / or paid leave to those who cannot go to their job due to childcare or elderly people at home, for example. And boy, do these special circumstances exist in a country like ours.
4. Leaders in charge of health contingency a in each country must find a way to include women in decision-making for response and recovery. “Including women's voices in decision-making, both locally and municipally or nationally, will give better results,” says UN Women, citing the way in which the Ebola response benefited from the inclusion of various women's groups. .
5 Finally, it is recommended that governments pay special attention to what happens in homes and call for an equal distribution of the burden of care between men and women. It is a great opportunity to “de-stereotype” the gender roles that are present in many homes around the world.