The Covid-19 crisis has had asymmetrical consequences for men and women: in particular, more women lost their jobs. However, the Recovery Plan proposed by the European Commission should mainly benefit male-dominated sectors.
This is one of the conclusions reached by economists Elisabeth Klatzer and Azzurra Rinaldi in a report published on Tuesday 14 July and commissioned by the Greens/EFA group on the initiative of German MEP Alexandra Geese.
First of all, it is recalled that the pandemic has had a particularly severe impact on women. Economists point out, for example, that women with young children have been more significantly prevented from devoting the time they want to their paid work than men (24% versus 13% respectively).
They also point out that women are more likely to work in one of the four sectors (accommodation and catering, commercial and administrative activities, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade) that the International Labour Organization considers to be at high risk in terms of job losses and reduced working hours.
However, Next Generation EU does not take into account the gender dimension in the allocation of funds. It also focuses on stimulating the economy in sectors with a high proportion of male employment, the report says, such as the digital, energy, agriculture, construction and transport industries.
While women are particularly represented in the care sector and have suffered during this crisis, “neither recovery of the care sector nor a transition towards a care economy, an important basis for generating resilience, are included in the plans”, the economists also note.
They thus detail a whole series of recommendations, suggesting in particular that the national recovery plans, which States will have to submit, should include strategies to address gender inequalities.
To view the report: https://bit.ly/32xxkGL (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)