Publication Democracy and the Welfare State The Gendered Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic Covid-19 and gender Wiesner, Claudia This study takes a look at the gendered effects of the Covid-19 pandemic in 15 European countries, while the country reports take a closer look at the situation in Finland and Iceland. von picture alliance/Westend61 | Béla Stetzer The Covid-19 pandemic was not only a health crisis, but a major challenge for the labour market and social policy, as well as a driver for social inequality. The pandemic also had major effects on gender issues: besides the gendered labour market effects such as raising female unemployment, economic sectors dominated by women were much more affected. Lockdowns and closures of schools and pre-schools had clear negative effects on the mental health, educational progress and social segregation of children. Moreover, they also impacted the parents negatively, as they were forced to integrate care work and paid work – which in many cases and countries resulted in women taking on a greater share of the burden, including negative effects on their employment and work situation. A Europe-wide FES project has examined the social impact of COVID on Gender in 15 countries. The individual country reports explore in what way the provision or non-provision of childcare and lockdowns impacted existing gender care gaps and women’s economic self-determination. Comparative Report This report summarises the findings on the gendered effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and its handling in 15 European states (most of them EU member states) that have been analysed in respective country reports (References): Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Spain, Sweden. Summary Report - The gendered effects of the Covid-19 crisis in Europe Finland This report gives an overview of the gendered impacts of the Covid-19 crisis in Finland. The Covid-19 crisis highlighted many existing structural problems related to gender equality in Finland, such as strongly segregated labour markets and unequal division of care responsibilities between parents. However, most of the negative effects of the crisis were short-term due to the good structural conditions of the Finnish welfare state and society. The report also provides policy recommendations for tackling gender equality in the future. Finland: The gendered effects of the Covid-19 crisis Iceland This report gives an overview of the gendered impacts of the Covid-19 crisis in Iceland. The Covid-19 pandemic emphasised existing inequalities that remain in Icelandic society today. While schools were never fully closed throughout the pandemic and people were free to leave their homes, the restrictions on people’s lives and movement did have a negative effect on gender equality. Unemployment rose among women who already had lower labour participation. Women were still responsible for the majority of unpaid domestic labour, and 2020 and 2021 saw a significant increase in domestic violence. Iceland: The gendered effects of the Covid-19 crisis Other country reports Covid and gender in Estonia Report on Covid and gender in Lithuania The impact of Covid-19 on Italy's gender gap The effect of Covid-19 on women in Hungary Contact: Josefin Fürst josefin.furst(at)fes.de
