Pandemic takes tough toll on informal women workers
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Significance
Policy measures taken in response to the economic crisis created by the pandemic have largely been gender-blind, exacerbating the long-standing economic precarity and gender inequality experienced by this group, among whom are many of the world’s poorest women.
Impacts
- Post-pandemic permanent changes in sectors such as retail and hospitality will further narrow employment opportunities for women.
- The push for fiscal consolidation, by governments and multilateral funders, will hit public spending, on which the poorest are most reliant.
- Lack of gender-sensitive policymaking during post-pandemic recovery will widen economic and social gaps for informal women workers.