The European Commission published its 2021 report on gender equality in the EU on Friday 5 March and concludes that the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated gender inequalities “in almost all areas of life”. This trend was highlighted as early as April by the European Institute for Gender Equality (see EUROPE 12470/16).
The figures put forward by the institution relate in particular to the increase in domestic violence in the context of lockdown, as well as the consequences of this lockdown on the work-life balance for women, who spend an average of 23 hours a week doing housework, compared to 15 hours for men.
As they are over-represented in the sectors most affected by the crisis (retail trade, hotels, care and domestic work), women have also been more affected in the labour market. The institution also points out that women make up 86% of health service staff in the EU, as “frontline workers“.
Finally, the Commission highlights a “striking lack” of women in decision-making bodies related to the pandemic. “Of 115 national dedicated Covid-19 task forces in 87 countries, including 17 EU Member States, 85.2% were made up mainly of men, and only 3.5% had gender parity”, it points out.
See the report: https://bit.ly/3qlo6FN (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)