25 July 2020, NIICE Commentary 5643
Gayatri Rajpurohit
In the contemporary world, the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting every one, from a common person to the head of the state. Any calamity, whether natural or man-made, always perturbs women and children acutely. Children and women are at high risk during this pandemic, something which cannot be neglected. The pandemic is deepening the pre-existing inequalities and is exposing vulnerabilities in the various societal structures. The lockdown rule has been considered as an initial step taken by governments across the globe to prevent the pandemic at the community level. This lockdown is not new or exciting for the women since they have been facing it for centuries, primarily by being restricted to the domestic sphere. Due to the patriarchal nature of the Indian society, this pandemic is putting women at heightened risk of domestic violence and sexual abuse and cutting them off from the essential protection services.
Across every sphere of our day to-day life, from health to the economy, security to social protection, this pandemic is aggravating the poor condition of women by the virtue of their sex or their biological structure. Due to the economic stress raised by this pandemic, the rate of child labour at the domestic level has been increased to the extent that it is clearly violating the basic human rights, something which should be addressed sedately. The unmitigated socio-economic inequalities will place the most vulnerable groups at an even higher level of risk. In the chain reaction of the crisis, violence against women and girls will continue to intensify, and at the same time unemployment, financial strains and insecurity will be maximised. Women who are working as “Corona warriors” in the fields of health, security, and sanitisation are facing a double burden, as they have to fulfil their responsibilities towards the household, while carrying on with their daily jobs outside the home. Increased domestic violence due to forced proximity has increased worldwide; worse still, women are now cloistered within the four walls with their batterers. The World Health Organisation, in its recent report, mentioned that globally, one out of three women is facing physical sexual violence by any of the perpetrators within the periphery of their homes. Men who are frustrated by the worsened financial situation could also leave the family and settle down elsewhere, thereby increasing the number of single mothers left to fend for their children. The pandemic has limited the social networks and personal relations for women, with whom they could share their problems and psychological stress. Women who were indulged in various kinds of informal economies and setups are now left with nowhere to go. They are unemployed and hence, unable to fill the empty stomachs of their family members. For women workers who are coddled in taking care of a Coronavirus patient, their safety and security has also been overlooked as there is no management and no proper arrangement for masks, sanitisation or PPE kits. The pandemic shook other medical facilities that women needed on daily basis, like reproductive health services, contraception, proper HIV medication, menstrual products, safe and secure abortions, and some of the basic medical necessities which have been thrown into disarray by the governments and the policymakers.
Health managers or facility administrators need to have plans to address the safety of women. For the Health workers, there should be provisions for psychosocial support, non-performance-based incentives or perks, additional transport allowance and child-care support. Another situation which can be seen as a concerning matter is that families who have only one male member who is the sole source of income and feeding the family, if infected from Coronavirus, will be indisposed and the situation for the woman partner will be aggravated, wherein they become the bread earner and caretaker of children and elderly members of the family. This situation may give women authority over decision-making in the absence of a male member, or can empower her to an extent, but the pressure of the double role will be affecting her psychologically and physically.
The United Nations Women Deputy Executive Director Anita Bhatia talked about the five urgent steps which should be taken by the government to curb the difficulties of women during this outbreak. Firstly, female workers and the front liners like doctors and nurses are integrated into care giving services. It means there should be the availability of the basic medical products like sanitary pads or tampons as a part of personal protective equipment. Secondly, there should be proper arrangements for working hotlines or helpline services considered as ‘basic necessity’ against domestic violence and sexual abuse. Thirdly, for the informal sector employees, who constitute the vast majority of the female labour force in developing economies, special efforts should be made to deliver compensatory payments. Fourthly, the leaders and the policymakers should make some laws that ensure the inclusivity of women in policymaking processes. As most of the policymakers are males, they are unable to inculcate the physical and psychological situation of women, which make the policies exclusive. Lastly, policymakers must pay attention to what is happening in people’s lives at home and support an equal sharing of the burden of care-taking between women and men. When we look at the outcomes of the pandemic on women, we will find that the rate of separation of couples or divorce rates will increase abruptly and globally, primarily due to domestic violence and sexual abuse practices by the male perpetrators within the housing periphery. “We know that domestic violence is rooted in power and control, we are all feeling a lack of control over our lives and an individual who cannot manage that will take it out on their victim,” says Bhatia. While the number of abuse cases may not rise during the Coronavirus crisis, people who were already in an abusive situation will likely find themselves facing more violence, and can no longer escape by going to work or seeing friends. Another reason for separation could be their mental stress due to the socially isolated atmosphere of their lives. Another thing which can be foreseen after the pandemic is there will be large numbers of unplanned pregnancies, which can result in a baby boom throughout the world, thereby increasing the population globally. In response to the alarming incidence of gender-based violence during the pandemic, the UN chief has exhorted governments to treat legal, medical and related responses to domestic violence as emergency services. Globally, as well as in India, helplines are being set up by women’s organisations to deal with the escalating physical and sexual violence. Needless to say, violence within the home and outside are inter-related; therefore, dealing with both is equally essential.
As we all know, the globalised world is not uniform and there are multiple disparities among nation-states and their interests of policy-making. Here, if we look at feminist intervention in the process of policy-making, there is a deep need to revisit it through a gender lens so that clearer, more inclusive policies can be made. The government should also ensure psychosocial support for women and girls who are facing violence in the form of mental, physical and sexual abuse by strengthening the helpline and counselling services by psychologists. Ensuring participation of grassroots women organisations, civil society groups, international organisations and NGOs while making policies for women welfare, would be essential. Most importantly, there is a need to look at everything from a gendered lens, from policies to action.
