COVID-19 has affected the rich and the poor, and we have seen different tactics to contain the spread of the virus, approaches to protect vulnerable people and different policy responses to support those in need. Yet, while we are all at risk of suffering from this virus we are not all equally affected by it.
Gender-based inequalities have long been discussed, but they become more evident in times of crisis. They become evident at home, at work and in the broader society. Gender is one way to approach the discussion of inequality, and this discussion becomes further complex when we interweave aspects like disability, age or race.
Some talk about the ‘double double shift’ or the ‘third shift’ that women are doing at home. In some homes men and women are sharing - more or less equally - the cooking, cleaning, looking after children or supporting them with remote learning, while both partners are working from home or not.
In other homes, men hold the secure job and the woman’s paid work has become secondary, her role being primarily to ‘keep everything afloat’ at home - pushing us back to the 1950s.
Some situations are also brighter than others. We have seen an unprecedented increase in the cases of domestic violence, where most often the victim is a woman.
Many jobs have been lost, but as women are overrepresented in industries like tourism and hospitality, or are more likely to be employed casually, women and men have been disproportionately affected by job losses. This will unavoidably have a negative impact on women’s financial independence and well-being.
We have also seen in Australia, unfortunate reactions against people of different races, opening a whole new discussion at the crossroads between gender and race.
In this impact2020 webinar, hosted by CSI's Dr Ioana Ramia, with a panel of experts (listed below) on gender, human rights, workplace relations and financial wellbeing, the multiple facets of COVID-19 - and crisis situations in general - and the affects on women, is discussed.
The panel also discuss the inequalities we should be prepared to address and the potential tactics we should apply to ensure existing disadvantage is not further entrenched. The webinar also taps into the experience of women in different circumstances, including women in academia.
Panellists:
Dr Ioana Ramia
Scientia Professor Louise Chappell
Professor Rae Cooper
Professor Abigail Powell
Professor Siobhan Austen
* Please note: Due to a recording error, at approx. the 14.44 mark of this webinar recording, Professor Rae Cooper is cut off for a few moments. Apologies for this error.
About impact2020:
impact2020 was a webinar series, presented by the Centre for Social Impact (CSI) throughout 2020, offering free webinars for the Australian for-purpose sector with our innovative researchers, educators, thought leaders and partners.
The webinars covered the breadth and complexity of social impact and brought our diverse sector together to join, learn and affect change.
More info:
- Access all impact2020 webinar recordings: [ Ссылка ]
- View the impact2020 program: [ Ссылка ]
- Find out more about the impact webinar series: [ Ссылка ]
Please note: Some of our webinars feature academics, external partners and other individuals. The views you hear in these webinars include the opinions of the presenters and panellists, and may not be reflective of the views of the Centre for Social Impact
