U.N. Releases Report on Socio-economic Effects of Coronavirus

A United Nations report states that the fact that women make up 70 percent of the global health workforce puts them at greater risk of infection. This is a dated photo of Catherine a nurse at Jinja referral hospital,in Uganda. Credit: Lyndal Rowlands/IPS.By Samira SadequeUNITED NATIONS, Apr 3 2020 (IPS) As the number of coronavirus cases continues to grow, concerns are simultaneously growing about the current and long-term effects this will have on certain demographics — specifically, women, the youth, migrant workers, and many employees around the world.  This week, the United Nations launched a report “Shared Responsibility, Global Solidarity: Responding to the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19” that detailed how these communities are affected disproportionately by the current pandemic and quarantine.  A burden on women At the centre of it remains one demographic that likely bear the strongest brunt of it: women.  “The fact that women make up 70 percent of the global health workforce puts them at greater risk of infection,” read part of the report. “The current crisis threatens to push back the limited gains made on gender equality and exacerbate the feminisation of poverty, vulnerability to violence, and women’s equal participation in the labour force.” But just because women make up almost three-quarters of global healthcare professionals, does not mean they’re given the proper respect. According to a March 2019 report by the World Health Organis...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Editors' Choice Education Featured Gender Global Headlines Health Human Rights Humanitarian Emergencies IPS UN: Inside the Glasshouse Population Poverty & SDGs TerraViva United Nations Coronavirus COVID-19 International Organ Source Type: news