Women Lost $800 Billion in Income in 2020 Due to COVID-19: Report
Women are overrepresented in sectors hit hard by the pandemic, the Oxfam research found.
By Sophia Sun
LONDON, April 29 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) The COVID-19 crisis cost women around the world $800 billion in lost income in 2020, Oxfam said on Thursday, as it demanded steps to tackle gender inequality.
Women, overrepresented in low-paid, precarious sectors like retail, tourism, and food services, lost more than 64 million jobs last year, said the charity, a 5% total loss, compared to a 3.9% loss for men.
The pandemic has dealt a striking blow to recent gains for women in the workforce, said Oxfam Executive Director Gabriela Bucher, in a written statement.
A participant wears a rosette as she takes part in a march to celebrate 100 years since women were granted the vote, in London on June 10, 2018. Thousands of women gathered Sunday to turn British cities into rivers of green, white and violet to mark 100 years since the first U.K. women won the right to vote. Part artwork, part parade, Processions will see women march through London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast clad in the colors of the suffragette movement that fought for women s right to vote.
Half of UK Women Say Progress on Gender Equality Is in Reverse Because of COVID-19