Women suffered during the crisis

(there is a lot of negative impact on the work of women)

--- Priyanka Saurabh,
The coronavirus epidemic has had a very negative impact on women's work. Especially single women, widows, daily wage laborers, or women working in the unorganized sector have not got any protection under social security laws. Along with the double burden of work, the financial crisis has arisen in front of them. The most painful thing is that they do not see any ray of hope even far away.

In this masculine world, women are generally responsible for the cleanliness of the house, the stove, the care of the children, and the kitchen along with the laundry. However, now in the case of working couples this thinking is changing. But still, this mentality works in most families. As a result, most of the women in this long lockdown are forced to bear the burden of work. Indian women work on average six hours more per day than other countries, for which they do not get any money. Whereas Indian men spend less than an hour in such works and have more status.

The Covid-19 lockdown has virtually reduced employment availability for women and increased the workload of care. With all family members at home, the tasks of cooking children out of school, cleaning, babysitting, and caring for the elderly have become more important.

In my view, there is no doubt that the management of household tasks and low-income status will have long-term effects on the physical and mental health of women. The already high level of malnutrition among rural women is also likely to increase, as the amount of food in households is decreasing as well as women are under more pressure than men during the lockdown, which in turn results in their Health has started appearing.

Recently United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also stated that the ever-increasing infection of the coronavirus (Covid-19) in the world has adversely affected the social and economic status of women due to which social inequality towards them has increased considerably. She said that due to this epidemic, the health of women, their economic condition, and social security has been badly affected. Violence against women has also increased considerably.

Today, due to Corona, rural women have to face the crisis of regular employment more than before. According to a survey, job losses during epidemic times have been larger for rural women than men. Women are not reported as laborers anyway and this crisis of regular employment may have intensified during the epidemic and the lockout.

Younger and more educated women often aspire for skilled non-agricultural work rather than looking for small work, while older women are more inclined to do household chores. Therefore, the discussion of their work does not become the headlines of the economy. Data shows that 71% of women have lost their jobs after lockdown. And the salary of women is not equal to the salary of men who are doing jobs.

Women are engaged in agricultural work in a large part of the country where rainfed agriculture is prevalent and this time in the months between March to May no agricultural work was done. Employment and income in agriculture-related activities, such as animal husbandry, fisheries, and floriculture were also adversely affected by the lockout. Non-agricultural employment came to a sudden halt due to the complete closure of construction sites, brick kilns, petty stores and eateries, local factories and other enterprises.

We need to properly highlight the contribution of women to the picture of the labour market and emphasize generating women-specific employment. There is undoubtedly a present need to generate women-specific employment in long-term plans and new ventures. Special attention should be paid to safe and easy transportation for women from their homes to workplaces. Due to its lack, young and old women are still at home even after the lock-down has been removed.

Government schemes have come from new sources of women's employment in the last few decades, particularly in the health and education sectors, for example, where women work as Anganwadi workers or mid-day meal cooks. During the epidemic, recognized social health workers or ASHAs, 90% of whom are women, have become frontline health workers and have proven themselves. Now we need to include women from almost all sections of rural families.

Also, there is a need to generate women-specific employment in skilled occupations of women and in new ventures. Apart from the health sector in the country, women play an important role at the grassroots level in all other areas, all of them should be recognized as laborers and should be paid fair and equal wages as men. In the self-reliant Bharat Abhiyan and schemes related to Corona, women alone, widows, daily laborers, or women working in the unorganized sector have not received any special package or protection under social security laws. 

 

Today, they face more work and a double financial crisis. Anyway, the historical fact is that in the crisis of war or divine disasters, women have faced the most problems. But Corona is proving heavy on all disasters. Today, because of this, no woman is safe in the village and cities - housewives or working. In such a serious situation, the Government of India and the State Governments should pay maximum attention to the health and safety of this half of the population as well as financial problems. Social and economic policies should be made keeping the future of women at the center, which will result in better results.
 

 

- Priyanka Saurabh,
Research Scholar in Political Science, 

University of Delhi, Poetess, Independent Journalist and Columnist, All India Radio and TV Panelist,