HIST 3033 Race, Gender and Medicine
Department of History and Philosophy
The UWI, Cave Hill Campus
Is there a heavier burden being placed on female health practitioners, general workers and caregivers both on the frontlines in the health sector and in quarantine at home in the wake of “stay-at-home” orders?
As COVID-19 sweeps across the globe, one of its most significant victims may very well be feminism. As Sam Smethers remarks, the wider implications of the lockdown gender divide are clear; “This shows that the default assumptions about who does the caring for children fundamentally haven’t shifted. It defaults to women. There’s an expectation that women will make their jobs fit around the caring, whereas a man’s job will come first” (Ferguson) . Indeed, there is a heavier burden being placed on female health practitioners, general workers and caregivers both on the frontlines in the health sector and in quarantine at home in the wake of “stay-at-home” orders. Research carried out by economists from three Universities, Cambridge Oxford and Zurich between the 9th and 14th of April indicated that the gender divide affects a woman who is at home - whether or not she is formally working. Cambridge economist Dr. Christopher Rauh added that, “Whatever situation you have, on average it’s the woman doing more, and it’s not because she’s working less” (Ferguson) . This is compounded by the fact according to the World Health Organization (WHO) across 104 countries, 70 percent of workers in the health and social care sector, are women (Hutt) .
Notwithstanding the progress made in feminist movements, the home and the unpaid work that is required has remained the female’s “domain”. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), globally, women perform 76.2% of total hours of unpaid care work, more than three-times as much as men. Without a doubt, that percentage has risen during this pandemic. The “stay-at-home” order has destroyed the safety net of childcare on which many women depended. With schools closed, there is now the additional responsibility of home schooling. Children often are more inclined to go to their mothers than their fathers for aid and Stephenson points out; “The men seem to be able to lock themselves away in a study, while the women are working at the kitchen table- and also trying to home-educate” (Ferguson) . The situation is more calamitous in single-parent households, especially those where the mother is tasked with working on the frontlines. Moreover, as health systems become stretched, many people with COVID-19 will need to be cared for at home, adding to women’s overall burden, as well as putting them at greater risk of becoming infected (Hutt) .
COVID-19 is more than a public health crisis, it is an economic one as well and it appears to disproportionately affect women, as some have been dismissed or placed on unpaid leave (Ferguson) . “Normal life” has been suspended yet social gender norms have not been. Although many fathers will undoubtedly step up and share in the unpaid caring labour, this will not be universal. Wenham adds that this social norm is aided by the structure of the workforce; “It’s not just about social norms of women performing care roles; it’s also about practicalities. Who is paid less? Who has the flexibility?” In the article, “The Coronavirus is a Disaster for Feminism: Pandemics affect men and women differently”, Wenham took the opportunity to comment on gender relations in her household, she shared that she and her husband were alternating between two-hour shifts of child care and paid work. That is one solution; for others, the division will run along older lines. Dual-income couples might suddenly find themselves living like their grandparents, one homemaker and one breadwinner (Lewis) . Upon reflection, this pandemic has not made any significant impact on gender relations in my household. However, in a conversation with a family member, she expressed how stressful the “stay-at-home” order has been especially when the school term commenced. She admitted that she struggled to teach her classes while simultaneously assisting her eight year with the transition to online classes as well as keeping her toddler quietly entertained. Unfortunately, her husband is unable to provide the much needed aid as his job description falls under the heading “essential”. Across social media, there are similar vlogs and blogs as women use this platform to vent and create escapes through humour, as they adjust to this COVID-19 society where they are once again chief caregivers.
“A man can work from sun to sun, But a woman’s work is never done” (Little) . There is indeed a heavier burden being placed on female health practitioners, general workers and care givers both on the frontlines in the health sector and in quarantine at home in the wake of the “stay-at-home” orders. Women comprise the majority of health and social care workers, and as the fight against COVID-19 continues, an increasing number of women around the world are on the front lines. Many of them will be expected to work longer hours, while juggling domestic responsibilities such as childcare and caring for relatives with the virus also adds to the burden. Sadly, one of the most striking effects of the coronavirus will be to send many couples back to the 1950s. Across the world, women’s independence has become a silent victim of the pandemic. (Lewis) . Anita Bhatia in her article “Women and COVID-19: Five things governments can do now” appeals to policy makers to pay attention to what is happening in peoples’ homes and support an equal sharing of the burden of care between women and men. She highlights that there is a great opportunity to “unstereotype” the gender roles that play out in households in many parts of the world; whereby men and boys are enlisted to ensure that they are doing their fair share at home and alleviating some of the care burdens that fall disproportionately on women. In addition, Bhatia urges governments that special efforts should be made to deliver compensatory payments as well as bailout and stimulus packages which should include social protection measures that reflect an understanding of women’s special circumstances and recognition of the care economy. Which means ensuring health insurance benefits for those most in need and paid and/or sick leave for those unable to come to work because they are taking care of children or elders at home. The economic and social impacts of COVID-19 are severe on all, but they are more so for women.
Works Cited
Bhatia, Anita. "Women and COVID-19: Five Things Governments Can Do Now." 26 March 2020. UN Women.
Ferguson, Donna. "'I feel like a 1950s housewife': how lockdown has exposed the gender divide." 3 May 2020. The Guardian.
Hutt, Rosamund. "The Coronavirus Fallout may be Worse for Women than Men: Here's Why." 12 March 2020. World Economic Forum.
Lewis, Helen. "The Coronavirus is a Disaster for Feminism: Pandemics affect men and women differently." 19 March 2020. The Atlantic.
Little, Jean. Orphan at My Door: The Home Child Diary of Victoria Cope. Toronto: Scholastic Canada Ltd., 2001.
