COVID-19 Pandemic Worsening Gender Inequalities for Women and Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa

Ahinkorah, BO; Hagan, JE; Ameyaw, EK; Seidu, A-A; Schack, T

COVID-19 Pandemic Worsening Gender Inequalities for Women and Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa

Ahinkorah, BO Hagan, JE Ameyaw, EK Seidu, A-A Schack, T

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Publisher:: Frontiers Media SA
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Frontiers in Global Women's Health, 2021, 2, pp. 686984
Issue Date:: 2021-07-29

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Ahinkorah, BO
dc.contributor.author	Hagan, JE
dc.contributor.author	Ameyaw, EK
dc.contributor.author	Seidu, A-A
dc.contributor.author	Schack, T
dc.date.accessioned	2021-12-31T06:57:10Z
dc.date.available	2021-06-30
dc.date.available	2021-12-31T06:57:10Z
dc.date.issued	2021-07-29
dc.identifier.citation	Frontiers in Global Women's Health, 2021, 2, pp. 686984
dc.identifier.issn	2673-5059
dc.identifier.issn	2673-5059
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/152574
dc.description.abstract	Pandemics such as COVID-19 have often resulted in international, national and sub-regional crises, with considerable inequities across many societies. With the already existing structural and socio-economic inequalities in sub-Saharan Africa, the stay-at-home orders, lockdowns, and shutdowns across the sub-regional states could worsen and have a tremendous impact on vulnerable groups. Numerous studies across a variety of contexts have well-documented gender, and cultures on varied health outcomes. However, these have not been contextualized in sub-Saharan Africa in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This mini review discusses the ways by which COVID-19 has impacted the lives of girls and women across sub-Saharan Africa and the strategies that can help mitigate these challenges. The mini review specifically shares light on a wide array of dimensions where the inequities exist. These include the disproportionate areas affected by COVID-19; household inequities; educational inequalities; work/employment inequalities; disparities related to healthcare, sexual and reproductive health as well as housing inequities. Conclusively, the review accentuates the need for sub-Saharan African countries to adopt low-cost preventive measures such as discouraging mass gatherings (e.g., local community gatherings), and face masking with non-medical cloth like masks for the local populace as these are crucial in managing the spread of the virus among disproportionate women population. For localities with limited access to handwashing facilities, alternative strategies like alcohol-based hand rub solutions could be deployed. The complex interrelated disparities require a broad set of policy actions to lessen the current burden faced by many women in sub-Saharan Africa.
dc.format	Electronic-eCollection
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	Frontiers Media SA
dc.relation.ispartof	Frontiers in Global Women's Health
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.3389/fgwh.2021.686984
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.title	COVID-19 Pandemic Worsening Gender Inequalities for Women and Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	2
utslib.location.activity	Switzerland
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Public Health
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2021-12-31T06:57:09Z
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	2

Abstract:

Pandemics such as COVID-19 have often resulted in international, national and sub-regional crises, with considerable inequities across many societies. With the already existing structural and socio-economic inequalities in sub-Saharan Africa, the stay-at-home orders, lockdowns, and shutdowns across the sub-regional states could worsen and have a tremendous impact on vulnerable groups. Numerous studies across a variety of contexts have well-documented gender, and cultures on varied health outcomes. However, these have not been contextualized in sub-Saharan Africa in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This mini review discusses the ways by which COVID-19 has impacted the lives of girls and women across sub-Saharan Africa and the strategies that can help mitigate these challenges. The mini review specifically shares light on a wide array of dimensions where the inequities exist. These include the disproportionate areas affected by COVID-19; household inequities; educational inequalities; work/employment inequalities; disparities related to healthcare, sexual and reproductive health as well as housing inequities. Conclusively, the review accentuates the need for sub-Saharan African countries to adopt low-cost preventive measures such as discouraging mass gatherings (e.g., local community gatherings), and face masking with non-medical cloth like masks for the local populace as these are crucial in managing the spread of the virus among disproportionate women population. For localities with limited access to handwashing facilities, alternative strategies like alcohol-based hand rub solutions could be deployed. The complex interrelated disparities require a broad set of policy actions to lessen the current burden faced by many women in sub-Saharan Africa.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/152574