Women are likely to be harder hit than men by the trade disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the dangers are particularly acute in developing countries, according to a new report by the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The report, published this week, comes as SA commemorates Women’s Month as a tribute to the more than 20,000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on August 9 1956 in protest against the apartheid government’s pass laws meant to control the movement of black people in urban areas.
The WTO noted in the report that women make up a larger share of the workforce in the manufacturing sectors, such as textiles, apparel, footwear and telecommunication products, that have seen the largest falls in export growth during the first months of the pandemic. In the services sector, women also outnumber men in industries that have been directly affected by travel restrictions, such as tourism and business travel services.
Furthermore, according to the report, the temporary closures of schools and childcare facilities have had a big impact on working families, with the burden falling disproportionately on working mothers.
Some have had to change their work schedules, reduce their working hours or take unpaid leave. Stay-at-home orders have also increased incidences of domestic violence against women and children.
In parallel, women who lose their jobs or are required to reduce working hours also face lower opportunities than men of finding other jobs, in part because employers may believe women have more limited flexibility due to greater housework and childcare responsibilities compared to their male counterparts.
The report states that given that on average women continue to earn less than men, income losses due to the Covid-19 recession may further increase poverty among women.
“This crisis is having a different impact from previous global crises,” the authors of the report said.
“Past recessions have typically had a greater negative impact on men’s employment because more men work in sectors most exposed to business cycles, such as construction and manufacturing, while women’s employment is concentrated in relatively less cyclical sectors, such as education and health care,” said the report
“The Covid-19 recession is likely to have a harsher impact on female workers and entrepreneurs because the sectors in which they are economically active are among those most affected by lockdown and distancing measures,” it said.
The paper estimates the risk posed by trade disruptions on men and women using employment data from the World Bank Enterprise Surveys, monthly merchandise exports data and statistics on the mode by which a service is supplied.
Recent monthly and quarterly export data for China and the US confirm that most women tend to work in the manufacturing industries that experienced the largest fall in export growth during the first few months of the pandemic.
The global garment and textile industry, which employs a large number of women, has been heavily affected by a large number of order cancellations and the temporary closure of retail shops, resulting in many factory shutdowns in countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia and Vietnam.
The paper notes that women are disproportionately present in the informal sector in developing and least-developed countries and in activities that cannot be done remotely. It also highlights how the existing gender gap in terms of income, education, information technology skills, access to finance, and childcare responsibilities put women at a further disadvantage during the pandemic.
Also, tourism activities have contracted hugely after the national and international restrictions adopted to fight Covid-19. Women have been particularly affected by this contraction because they not only make up the largest share of employees in tourism, but are also more likely to be entrepreneurs in tourism than in other sectors of the economy, thanks to lower entry barriers.
The WTO said in the report that tourism is expected to require a long recovery period because of lower consumer confidence and a higher likelihood of continuing restrictions on the international movement of people.
Other sectors that depend on tourism, including food services and handicrafts, have also been indirectly and negatively affected by international mobility restrictions. This is particularly challenging for women with low skills or who work informally, in particular in economies dependent on tourism and offering limited job opportunities in other sectors.
Maintaining open markets during the recovery period is key to building faster and more inclusive growth, the world trade body stated, adding that this should be complemented by appropriate labour and education policies, as well as legal and social reforms to support women workers, consumers and traders.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.