What innovations can address inequalities experienced by women and girls due to the COVID-19 pandemic across the different areas of life/domains: work, health, living standards, personal security, participation and education?
Are there new ways to address the growing, fundamental inequalities experienced by women and girls that have been illuminated by COVID-19?
This review, requested by the Welsh Government, investigated evidence for effectiveness of interventions to address gender inequalities across the following 6 *domains:
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Work
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Health
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Living standards
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Personal security
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Participation
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Education
* These domains (or areas of life) are used by the Equality and Human Rights Commission for England, Wales and Scotland.
In 2020, the Women’s Equality Network, Wales, attributed “differential economic, health and social impacts illuminating prevailing gender inequalities” to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Whilst men have higher COVID-19 mortality, the pandemic has a greater impact on women and young girls’ health and wellbeing because of factors such as their caring role, access to jobs and education and physical abuse. Women and girls of a black, Asian and minority ethnic background are further affected.
The review process identified 21 published studies: 7 reviews, 6 commentaries and 8 primary studies. A further 14 articles were found in non-published, ‘grey’ literature.
All 21 studies were published in 2020-2021, were from countries all around the world and many referred to previous pandemics from the turn of this century, pre-dating COVID-19.
Evidence of interventions and innovation was patchy. Some evidence supported interventions in work, health and living standards. However, limited evidence was available on personal security, participation and education.
The evidence found can feed into policy decisions in these areas.
The review contains tabled analysis of all research papers and grey literature.
Overall, the evidence was rated as ‘low’, because of study designs, however there were some useful, relevant data, including career protection and support and for personal safety interventions. Other COVID-19 innovations impacting on women and girls’ inequalities may not have been evaluated or the literature has not been published.
Further research, particularly primary research, is needed to address this question.
Results can then be mapped on to the Equality and Human Rights Commission life areas and contribute to future policy decisions.
RR00027