HillNote
Public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have consequences that women and men experience differently because of biology, gender norms and inequalities. Understanding these differences is essential to develop policies and interventions that can successfully address the effects of, and recovery from, a pandemic. Ideally, analyses of the socioeconomic outcomes of pandemics should incorporate a range of intersecting identity factors, including gender, age, race, ethnicity and income. This HillNote will examine two gender-specific socioeconomic impacts of theCOVID-19 pandemic: the increase in unpaid care work and the effect on employment. It will also examine gender-sensitive policy responses and recovery plans, both internationally and in Canada.