Covid pandemic has set gender equality back many, many years.

photo credit: personnelltoday

The coronavirus pandemic has caused devastation throughout our planet. Millions have lost jobs, economies are buckling under the pressure, hospitals are incredibly stressed, and schools have been remote (or closed) for most of the year. 
The virus is also impacting gender equality. The United Nations reports that gender equality has been set back many years, due to the pandemic. UN Women looked at data from 38 countries, and created surveys for 50 countries to fill out. 

These surveys found that more women are taking on more of the household tasks than men are. About 60% of women and 54% of men have taken on increased amounts of household chores since the onset of the pandemic. Additionally, women were more likely to leave the workplace in order to take on these household chores. It is estimated that women spent 30+ hours per week on taking care of school-aged children. The time women have spent on childcare is the average time spent at a full-time job per week (honestly, as a mom, these numbers are low. I believe they are much higher). 
At the end of the second quarter of 2020, 321 million women were no longer in the workforce.

Women and girls have also been the victims of violence. Refugee women and girls have been the victims of heinous acts of violence. Women and girls have also been the victims of increased domestic violence, sex trafficking, sexual exploitation, and child marriage. 
Most cases have not been reported, due to the lack of opportunities victims have to report these heinous crimes. In some countries, displaced families have forced their children into marriages, just so families can attempt to survive. These situations end up with children as young as 5 being raped, girls as young as 11 are impregnated, those who are impregnated suffer complications, and many are even killed. 

Recap: Women are forced out of the workforce because of the pandemic. Women have to suffer the brunt of the household chores. Violence against women and girls have reached frightening levels, and these victims have no one to turn to. 

When some of you bitch and complain about having to wear masks, pay fines for not wearing masks, and holidays that have to be slightly altered, think about what others are dealing with. Poverty is at a record high. Women have left the workforce to take care of their children and do housework. Women and girls are being assaulted, killed, raped, and young girls are being trafficked and married off. This is real shit going on. 

We all need to come together as the HUMAN RACE, and beat covid. We all need to work together. The "every man for himself" mentality isn't working for anyone. 

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