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Women are physically less affected by the coronavirus itself than men. But, women are more affected by the negative repercussions of declining mental health, increased domestic violence and responsibilities, being frontline workers and a lack of job accessibility that have come as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mental health in women
Compared to men, women are more detrimentally affected by the social and mental repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Women reported suffering from mental health issues at a far greater rate than men (27% of women to 10% of men), experiencing more anxiety, stress, lack of motivation, and depression during the coronavirus pandemic. It has been reported that 83% of women have felt a noticeable increase in feelings of depression, anxiety, or stress, compared to only 36% of men. Men reported experiencing greater feelings of relaxation of happiness than before the pandemic, compared to women. These disparities may stem from social stigma surrounding mental illness in men. Men are less like to seek professional care and admit mental illness concerns, often due to self-stigma and notions of masculinity.

Reproductive health
In studies of the gender inequity onset during historical pandemics, maternal or infant mortality typically rose because medical resources were diverted away from pregnant mothers and towards the health crisis itself. This has also been the case during the COVID-19  pandemic. Women and girls have decreased access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services, as the majority of resources are being used to develop a vaccine/treat COVID patients. This may lead to higher rates of pregnancy in adolescents, maternal mortality and the transmission of STDs and HIV.

Domestic abuse
There has been a spike in domestic violence cases as a result of quarantining during the pandemic, as women and girls are near their abusers more often. For example, during lockdown in March 2020, the number of police calls and reports relating to domestic violence increased in New York City, San Antonio, Texas and Jefferson County, Alabama by 10%, 18% and 27% respectively (compared to March 2019). Homes that are overcrowded and contain people with suffering from substance abuse issues can worsen the living conditions for these women. Also, domestic violence victims do not have access to the support and resources that can help them escape violent situations. Domestic abuse hotlines were prepared for an increased volume of calls, which did occur in some areas with stay-at-home orders in place. But, domestic abuse hotlines also experienced an up to 50% decrease as victims were unable to connect to services in a safe or private environment.

Childcare
Although the quantity of domestic work has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, the distribution of this work among genders has stayed largely the same, falling more on women. The time women in the US typically spend on family responsibilities in the US has increased by 1.5 to 2 hours per day during the pandemic. Women typically have lower-paying jobs and more part-time work than men, creating more social expectations for women to leave their job and accommodate changing childcare needs. In addition, 90% of single parents are women. In the current health crisis, single mothers are unable to choose between their job and caring for their children, both of which are essential. When schools close, women are unable to take care of their children and continue working. If a single mother is laid off, they are more likely to lack financial support and struggle economically.

Education
There is the potential for millions of young girls to receive more limited education as a result of the pandemic. Girls who live in poverty, rural and isolated areas or have disabilities are at a greater risk of dropping out of school. Due to the closing of schools globally, 60 million teachers and 1.52 billion students are working from home. These closures have also caused women and girls to have to complete more chores than they usually would at home.

Jobs
Studies of gender inequity in historical pandemics have shown that income decreases are relatively independent of gender during the crisis itself. However, the return of women’s income lags behind that of men. The disparity caused by gender discrimination in pandemics creates long-lasting financial and economic consequences for women, but relatively short-term hindrances for men. In the immediate effects of initial stay-at-home advisories of quarantine in the spring of 2020, 11.5 million women and 9 million men lost their jobs. This discrepancy signals the beginning of inequitable financial stress, exacerbated by the fact that women are disproportionately represented in industries that are expected to experience hardships because of COVID-19, including food, education, hospitality, and retail trade.

Additionally, women occupy 78% of the jobs at hospitals, 70% of jobs at pharmacies, and 51% of jobs at grocery stores, putting them at high risk of COVID infection as frontline workers. Women also hold 66.6% of the forty lowest-paying jobs in the U.S. economy.

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