FREEPIK
In the first edition of the “ILO Monitor: COVID-19 and the World of Work” released in March 2020, the International Labor Organization (ILO) suggested that in determining the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on labor, the following be examined: health impact, quantity of jobs (both unemployment and underemployment), quality of jobs (wages and social protection) and specific vulnerable groups. In this thinkpiece, I examine the plight of women Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) as a specific vulnerable group and present some facts and musings regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their health, jobs and wages.
I decided to focus on women OFWs for three reasons. Firstly, it’s International Women’s Month and it is thus an opportune time to push women’s concerns into the heart of public discourse.