The coronavirus pandemic and preventive measures in Serbia have affected women more than men in the labour market, research published yesterday by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Women in Serbia shows.
The report also shows that in Serbia 7% of women have lost their jobs or went on forced holidays, while the percentage among men is almost halved and stands at 4%.
The analysis in Serbia showed that more women than men worked from home (56.4% vs 34.1%), which is a consequence of the dominant number of women working in sectors such as education, social welfare and public administration.
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The pandemic has also led to the increase in gender differences in the distribution of family responsibilities, i.e. women spend more time on housework and family care.
The head of UN Women in Serbia, Milana Rikanović, said that “the biggest burden of household chores, that is caring for children, the elderly and the sick, falls on women, while men focus mainly on earning money and pet care. Although this division of labour is nothing new, it has become more pronounced during the pandemic ”.
If we look at basic services and the well-being of citizens, almost a third of women and a fifth of men have experienced the impact of the pandemic on their psychological well-being, suffering from stress and anxiety.
The analysis also showed that younger women had greater problems with accessing sexual and reproductive health services and contraception than older women.
The analysis also addressed the burden on the health system, which focused entirely on the response to the pandemic. In this respect, women reported difficulties in accessing health services more than men.
The gender gap in access to health care is particularly wide in small countries where 30.6% of women reported difficulties in receiving health care, compared to 15.8% of men.
“In times of crisis, the need for sexual and reproductive health services is often overlooked, with disconcerting consequences. In addition, women and girls may be at greater risk of partner violence and other forms of domestic violence due to rising tensions in the home, ”said UNFPA director for Serbia, John Kennedy Mosoti.
He added that 30% of women in Serbia reported that discrimination and domestic violence increased during the pandemic, in comparison to 18% of men.
(Danas, 22.10.2020)
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