The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic affects the rights of women and men in different ways – women are more likely to suffer from additional workloads, reduced incomes and domestic violence.
According to a press release from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Ukraine, this is evidenced by the results of the study “The Impact of COVID-19 on Women’s Rights in Ukraine”, conducted with the support of UNDP.
It is noted that during the COVID-19 epidemic, more than 56% of women interviewed indicated that it negatively affected their professional activities during quarantine due to the need to combine housework and caring for other family members with professional responsibilities.
The research also shows that the income of about 40 percent of the women polled decreased. “Though men also faced a decrease in income, women still earned less because of the gender pay gap, which remained the same – during the pandemic women continue to be paid about 20 percent less than men,” the research says.
Among other negative impacts of the pandemic is the increased number of cases of domestic violence. More than 40 percent of those who faced domestic violence among the respondents said they had never experienced it before the lockdown.
