Sociology: Paper I: Dimensions \u2013 Social stratification of class, status groups, gender, ethnicity and race.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n G.S paper I: Society and Social Issues<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Context: <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n There\u2019s the pandemic rightfully crowding the headlines of your newspaper and occupying the minds of government leaders.<\/p>\n It\u2019s taking loved ones, imperiling heroes in scrubs, threatening neighbors at the cash register, and suddenly turning parents everywhere into teachers.<\/p>\n Then, there\u2019s the shadow pandemic,<\/strong> <\/span>which is rapidly unraveling the limited, but precious, progress that the world has made toward gender equality in the past few decades.<\/p>\n Why in news?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n As summarized by\u00a0a new UN report about COVID-19 and girls and women, this shadow pandemic can be seen in a spike in domestic violence as girls and women are sheltering-in-place with their abusers; the loss of employment for women who hold the majority of insecure, informal and lower-paying jobs<\/strong><\/span>; the risk shouldered by the world\u2019s nurses, who are predominately women; and the rapid increase in unpaid care work that girls and women mostly provide already.<\/p>\n Analysis<\/strong><\/p>\n The current emergency is poised to deeply exacerbate a stubborn one: while early reports suggest that men are more likely to succumb to COVID-19, the social and economic toll will be paid, disproportionately, by the world\u2019s girls and women.<\/p>\n WOMEN AND COVID-19 IN THE ECONOMY<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Across the globe, women earn less, save less, hold less secure jobs, are more likely to be employed in the informal sector. They have less access to social protections and are the majority of single-parent households. Their capacity to absorb economic shocks is therefore less than that of men.<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Specifically, an estimated\u00a0740 million\u00a0women around the world work in the informal economy.<\/p>\n WOMEN AND COVID-19 IN HEALTH SYSTEMS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Women and girls have unique health needs, but they are less likely to have access to quality health services, essential medicines and vaccines, maternal and reproductive health care, or insurance coverage for routine and catastrophic health costs, especially in rural and marginalized communities<\/u><\/em><\/strong>.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Special attention needs to be given to the health, psychosocial needs and work environment of frontline female health workers, including midwives, nurses, community health workers, as well as facility support staff<\/u><\/em><\/strong>.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n WOMEN AND COVID-19 AT HOME<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The COVID-19 global crisis has made starkly visible the fact that the world\u2019s formal economies and the maintenance of our daily lives are built on the invisible and unpaid labor of women and girls. <\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n As Mohammad Naciri, head of UN Women in Asia describes, An even greater burden is placed on women where health systems are overloaded or schools are closed, as care for children or sick family members largely falls on women.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Crowded homes, substance abuse, limited access to services and reduced peer support are exacerbating these conditions. Before the pandemic, it was estimated that one in three women will experience violence during their lifetimes. Many of these women are now trapped in their homes with their abusers<\/u><\/em><\/strong>.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Meanwhile, support services are highly strained as organizations focused on gender-based violence are already facing reduced operations and shut-downs.<\/p>\n WOMEN AND COVID-19 IN SOCIETY, IN DATA, AND IN FRAGILE CONTEXTS<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Evidence across sectors, including economic planning and emergency response, demonstrates unquestioningly that policies that do not consult women or include them in decision-making are simply less effective, and can even do harm. Beyond individual women, women\u2019s organizations who are often on the front line of response in communities should also be represented and supported.<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Globally,\u00a073 percent of executives in global health are men, while women, as noted, make up 70 percent of health workers. Global Health 50\/50 studies from over the past three years find that \u201cthe number of women reaching the top has barely budged in the global health space.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"United](\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/EhFX77TWsAAOhoe.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Gender-Based](\"https:\/\/healthpolicy-watch.news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/shadow-pandemic-1024x662.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/reliefweb.int\/sites\/reliefweb.int\/files\/styles\/report-large\/public\/resources-pdf-previews\/1515689-femicide-and-co_45608948_0.png?itok=wWpgjcm5\")
<\/p>\n![\"Covid-19](\"https:\/\/www.kcl.ac.uk\/importedimages\/schools\/business\/news-images\/gender-inequality-quartet.xbd5c2b71.png?f=webp\")
<\/p>\n\n
\n
\n
\n
![\"Infographic:](\"https:\/\/www.paho.org\/sites\/default\/files\/adressing-domestic-violence-communities-eng.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n
\n
![\"Domestic](\"https:\/\/thumbs.dreamstime.com\/b\/domestic-violence-infographic-sample-data-domestic-violence-infographic-sample-data-vector-illustration-136824030.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n
\n
![\"Violence](\"https:\/\/obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/cms\/asset\/f3a722b7-d374-4a9b-a913-daba93688503\/ijgo13365-fig-0003-m.jpg\")
<\/p>\n