At this time, women's health urgently needs to be a priority and the time when we need to focus on it is more important than ever, especially during a global pandemic. COVID-19 clearly demonstrates the need to strengthen public health infrastructure, and reveals this disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on women. According to the WHO, mortality rates for men (1.5%) in the first two weeks alone of the pandemic are higher than for women (1.7%). A percent that is set to increase.
At the intersection of oppressive society and gender, women are more likely to bear the brunt of health crises. As a result of historical and structural inequalities and discrimination, they face even greater damage and challenges linked to their gender and profession. For example, women make up the majority of service workers, including 77% of healthcare workers. Women also tend to do unpaid care and housework outside the home, which increases the impact of the pandemic on the health of themselves, their families, and their communities.
Women, making up the majority of global health workers, are on the front line, as they still shoulder the burden of strenuous work while increasing their own risk of COVID-19 infection.
Most healthcare workers are women, and women hold jobs in the informal sector that they will now lose. A novel coronavirus pandemic has the potential to affect people around the world and require a targeted gender response. In the context of developing countries, the effects of a novel virus such as influenza, chikungunya, dengue fever and cholera are increasing.
Although we really do not know much about this pandemic, a very important piece of speculation triggered by widespread social factors is the gender gap and susceptibility to coronavirus. According to CNN, it looks like COVID 19 affects health care workers because they are younger. According to a World Health Organization report, women are more than twice as likely to become infected as men.
These crises can exacerbate gender inequality in access to paid work and leave women vulnerable to poor health outcomes, as in India, where resources diverted to obstetrics have contributed to a sharp rise in maternal mortality. The effects are obvious in the health system, as they are in pregnant women with Zika outbreaks.
This risk is exacerbated by limited access to healthcare, particularly in rural areas, due to the lack of public health services. Spain nationalized its hospitals during the pandemic, but most health spending in the country is still low, as expensive private-sector treatments are often used. In view of the current health crisis in India and the declining public health system, groups working for health rights within India have expressed concern about the government's failure to give priority to this and other existing diseases.
Finally, every crisis is also surprisingly an opportunity. While mental health spending can take off 3-4% of GDP, every 70 rupee investment has a return of 4-6 times fold. It's nothing but madness to not take steps to grow a country and save lives.