Challenging role of women during disasters: A case of covid-19

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue VI, June 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186

Challenging role of women during disasters: A case of covid-19

Kariwo Edwin and Rugara Tofara
Great Zimbabwe University

Abstract: The study was an attempt assesses the role of women during COVID 19 lockdown. From the findings it has been established that when disasters happen, existing inequalities for women and girls and discrimination intensify. Working women who were operating from home have proved to be in a dilemma of balancing work, mother and wife duties under the same roof. Their reproductive and community linked duties remained critical despite the evolution of the covid-19 pandemic. The informal sector has been hard hit as the majority of the middle as well as lower classes of people sorely rely on it for survival. It was exaggerated by the imposed lockdown condition in order to curb the spread of coronavirus. People were not allowed to go to work, go to the markets, cross borders and or visit the malls or entering town if not among the ‘essential service providers’. Female commercial sex workers’ tools of their trade as well as their clients were usually found in the public spaces but the rules of the game made a spontaneous turn making them more vulnerable to risky way of business. There is notable increase in domestic violence as social interaction hours in the home have increased which was alien to most working couples. As a result women have suffered the most.

Keywords: Women, Disasters, COVID 19, Gender

I. INTRODUCTION

The covid-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc at individual, societal as well as the national, regional and global level. Many nations continue to succumb to the pandemic, affecting the social, economic, cultural and economic circles worldwide resulting in a redefinition of the way of life of many. Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have exceeded 1.85 million globally, with the death toll surpassing 114,000, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU). On a similar noteover 1.8 million infections are confirmed in at least 185 countries and territories, including more than 114,000 deaths (https://covid.ourworldindata.org). Health authorities around the globe continue to scramble to contain the coronavirus pandemic with the United States now caught in the contagion’s crosshairs. (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2020).

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