Everyone's social life is affected by the corona epidemic. However, many women are forced to work from home now, often in combination with children at home. Even before the crisis, statistics showed that women generally do more unpaid domestic work and have more caring responsibilities than men, including caring for children, the sick and the elderly. With increasing pressure on hospitals and health services, women will inevitably have to meet even more of the growing unpaid care needs. This includes cleaning, preparing food or looking after seriously ill or disabled people.
Furthermore, women who fall ill themselves and have to spend time recovering in hospital wards in low-income countries are often dependent on family members for food and care, making isolation and infection control measures difficult and increasing the risk of the spread of Covid-19.
Not only will the work-life balance be particularly disturbed by the increasing burden of care, experts fear that domestic and sexual violence will increase. Provisional figures from the most affected province in China already showed that domestic violence had increased and figures from other places are also starting to come in.
The WHO drew up a fact sheet to this end: they advise women who experience violence to contact supportive family and friends who can provide practical help (e.g. food, childcare) and in dealing with stress. They advise developing a safety plan for their own and their children's safety in case the violence gets worse. In Flanders, victims and perpetrators of violence can contact the anonymous helpline 1712 and other hotlines such as Tele-Onthaal.
Not only will the work-life balance be particularly disturbed by the increasing burden of care, experts fear that domestic and sexual violence will increase. Provisional figures from the most affected province in China already showed that domestic violence had increased and figures from other places are also starting to come in.
The WHO drew up a fact sheet to this end: they advise women who experience violence to contact supportive family and friends who can provide practical help (e.g. food, childcare) and in dealing with stress. They advise developing a safety plan for their own and their children's safety in case the violence gets worse. In Flanders, victims and perpetrators of violence can contact the anonymous helpline 1712 and other hotlines such as Tele-Onthaal.
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