On the heels of the pandemic, the UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia conducted a rapid gender assessment to effectively and accurately evaluate the gendered impacts of COVID-19. The survey, which was conducted between April and May 2020, reveals a troubling situation – in Central Asia, three out of every five women reported a higher risk of not being able to access health services. A decrease in the paid working hours of women was observed across all countries/territories ranging from 31 per cent in Georgia to 65 per cent in Kosovo. Decreased earnings for women ranged from 15 per cent in North Macedonia to 52 per cent in Turkey. An alarming proportion of women (60 per cent) reported that it will be difficult to maintain basic expenses, such as rent and utilities, if restrictive measures continue.
As women’s economic security has been shaken, the COVID-19 crisis has also disproportionately affected their mental and emotional health. The most probable reason is the increased burden of unpaid domestic and care work, compounded by financial distress. Data shows that women’s psychological and mental health is being affected at higher rates than that of men, with worryingly high proportions seen among women in Albania (69 per cent), Kazakhstan (52 per cent), Turkey (54 per cent) and the Republic of Moldova (49 per cent).
The gender assessment exposed the prevalence of the shadow pandemic of violence against women. According to the survey, a considerable number of women (and men) reported having felt/heard of increases in domestic violence and discrimination. It is also concerning that the share of women who did not know where to seek help in cases of domestic violence ranges from around 20% in Turkey to at least 40% in Kyrgyzstan.
Whole news: https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/7/news-europe-and-central-asia-gender-assessments-reveal-pandemics--impact-on-women