The pandemic is having enormous economic impact on everyone but women are the ones who are bearing the brunt of the layoffs because they work mostly in industries that the pandemic have affected the most like retail industry, hospitality industry and small businesses.
The US Economy lost 140,000 jobs in December and women held all of them.
Why is this a concern? Women have always been in the marginalized group in many countries around the world. The United States is a developed country. If women are losing jobs in an advanced society like the United States. Imagine the effect this pandemic is having on women across the world that live in societies where they don’t get as much protection as women in the developed world.
There has always been a gender wage gap between men and women all across the world. The pandemic has only widened it and highlights the effects more. The impact of this pandemic will be felt for many years to come. Financial security of women and those who depend on them is evaporating and we only hope that industry leaders and government will advance policies to help these women so that the economic effects of this pandemic doesn’t destroy women’s ability to provide for themselves and those dependent on them.
