Effects of corona virus on women

[ByGrabtharsHammerWhatASavings]

Just thinking about the ways the virus and measures taken to combat it will effect women. The first thing that come to mind is that if children need time off school/ elderly people need caring for, it'll disproportionatly be women providing that care and probably taking time off work to do it. The second things is the way isolation and domestic abuse will correlate. Women in violent and abusive relationships will be trapped at home with their abuser in an increasingly tense claustrophobic environment. No chance of even escaping to a friends or him going for a walk to calm down. I can imagine that a lot of women will experience their first episode of violence if a long lockdown is initiated. It's also a controlling abusers dream situation. I have a friend whose husband is extremely controlling and does anything he can to limit and control her movements. He's basically got her imprisoned inside atm and won't let her go out til CV is over - for her own safety, of course . Shockingly there's no need for him to self isolate yet, but her and their kid absolutely must be in the house 24/7. It's like all his Christmases have come at once. It's the perfect excuse for abusers to isolate their partners from friends, family, maybe even a way to force them to give up work. And worst of all I don't even know if these effects can be mitigated.

Brexit threads definitely mentioned stockpiling san pro and birth control. This has been repeated on the Pandemic threads in preppers.

Article by Helen Lewis on this subject

www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/03/feminism-womens-rights-coronavirus-covid19/608302/

For too long, politicians have assumed that childcare and elderly care can be “soaked up” by private citizens—mostly women—effectively providing a huge subsidy to the paid economy. This pandemic should remind us of the true scale of that distortion.

It's incredible to me watching how the childcare duties are still falling to women even now with both parents working from home. Every conference call I've had this week with women has involved them having to mute their lines while they deal with a child and this hasn't happened once with male colleagues. All of my female friends are stressing about how on earth they're going to get any work done when the schools close, it's as if they're all single parents.

I always thought my partner was quite considerate but I suggested yesterday that we put notes through the doors of the houses in our road to offer help for anyone self-isolating who can't get supplies. There are quite a few elderly people in our road. He just looked at me blankly and shrugged. I had quite a few messages from people who had seen the note thanking me for looking out for everyone, they were all from women.

I know NAMALT etc. but I really need to hear some stories of men stepping up because I personally don't know any.

That article is a good read. Can't quite believe that there were more deaths from obstetric complications in Sierra Leone during the Ebola outbreak than from Ebola itself. I never knew that before - completely ignored by mainstream media. Shocking.

DH and I are both WFH. We have 3 children, 2 who are online schooling with their school and a toddler.

Today, as every day, I am at the dining table working and DH is in our bedroom.

All 3 DCs gravitate towards me so I am working with them all around me, I am making snacks, supervising, making sure noses are wiped, nappies are changed etc. and he is able to work alone upstairs. If I go upstairs, they follow me because they know I am less likely to shout and more likely to be able to answer their question or meet their need.

We both work for the same company and redundancies may well be made at the end of this crisis. Looking at my productivity, there is far more chance I will lose my job than him.

There are definitely feminist issues here.

Reading that, I couldn't help thinking of all the women on that recent AIBU thread, denying that looking after children at home counts as "work". Suspect some of them will be finding out the hard way as the result of this....

There is absolutely no doubt that the impacts on women are different to men. Amber Rudd (I think) was tweeting yesterday or the day before about how the CV team is all men and that women need to be involved. I couldn't agree more. They're impacted differently and also tend to be far more aware of different issues. eg Government worrying about big business, mortgages etc which is all good, but it's the women politicians who are pointing out that single mothers in rented accommodation or self employed etc are also going to need help.

Re the WHO Tweet: It would have been better maybe if instead of just "shining a spotlight" on the work women are doing, they actively encouraged men to share the load. This x 1000. I think this is the thing. To deny that women are picking up the slack is disingenuous so those suggesting that WHO and others should just thank the "people" who are picking up the slack at home are missing the point. But we NEED men and women to share this load. So employers who notice it's women's productivity going down but not men should be encouraging their male employees to share the load and/or ensuring that women aren't overly penalised for such productivity losses etc.

I'm getting massively pissed off that trying to book shop deliveries, plan meals to use what we have efficiently and bake bread because I'd pre-planned to ensure I had ingredients is all falling to me. Oh is glibly confident that shops will return to normal very soon so doing nothing. He's never in his life not had food so is sure he always will have enough to eat.

Oh Cracker it's so unfair isn't it. Sending a virtual (and germ free) elbow bump of solidarity. And it's so difficult to raise these issues without causing discord among both children (who will be used to you being their go to parent) and husband - and given you're going to all be at home together for a long time, who wants to do that? For some women trying to point out the inequalities could even be dangerous.

I have been shopping. DH, ha ha, followed me round singing to himself. If I asked if we needed anything I had repeat myself for him to pay attention. I eat any concoction of food. He likes things done "properly"

We are both WFH today. Family in self isolation today as one child riding a temp.

Yet I find myself working (very busy at mo and complex), planning y9 lessons for well child, looking after sick child and cooking, looking after house - because DH obsessed with work.

He's just locked away, dealing with his work.

He is a workaholic despite being on an average wage of £32k and regularly works til 7pm. We fall out all the time over this as my job is demanding yet I take all the load.

This is amplified now at home.

No wonder the divorce rate went up in China because this could be the nudge I need.

I have told him we will be sitting down to plan this. He said "why" My ranty reply involved the word patriarchy.

These stories are pissing me off. It is astonishing how the default assumption is that the woman will just sort this - figure out the education requirements, set up the schedule, keep kids entertained, do the shopping, calculate how to save/conserve food etc etc etc.

100% bling, the women doing everything while the men swan in and out of the fucking pub spreading germs to them and the kids, and bitch about missing the football.

Absolutely, definitelygc. Talking to my SIL the other day and she was talking about whether she would be able to take paid leave if the schools shut, or if it'd need to be unpaid. No mention at all of her husband doing this, even though he earns less, and is (relatively speaking) a "good guy".

I'm guessing a lot of single mothers are about to have maintenance payments stopped soon, just waiting for the call. My work have kindly offered me unpaid time off though so as long as I can live on fresh air for the next few months I'll be good

Langbannedforsafeguardingkids

I cant find the link at the moment but it was a report about how in situations of virus outbreaks deaths from medical conditions that would normally be treated rise (because they are de-prioritised).

This is why some people suggested the isolating of over 70s was put in place, not just because they are (if the have underlying issues) more susceptible, but that if there is an increase in deaths at home from age related diseases this will not be noticed because the government will be trumpeting how they kept the number of deaths from the virus in older people down.

There's a report today on older people being demonised particularly if they are women and / or from a BAME community. www.theguardian.com/society/2020/mar/19/older-people-widely-demonised-uk-ageism-report

ie "acceptable collateral damage" because of lack on capacity in the NHS it has no reserves in an emergency, so effectively rationing has to happen. (In many health areas this already happens with for instance cataract and other such operations no longer being routine)

COVID-19: the gendered impacts of the outbreak - article in the Lancet www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30526-2/fulltext

I was thinking today about how a pandemic is so different from other crises. I know loads of men who would love to think of themselves as being the first ones to step up in a time of need. They'd be straight out there pulling people out of rubble and carrying supplies. But as soon as the work that needs doing is "women's work" they just shrug and walk away. And that's the work that needs doing right now. Sorting out how kids are going to get an education with 6 months off school, getting paracetamol for Mrs Figg down the road who can't go out, making sure everything is clean and sanitised, figuring out how to feed a family with no cereal/milk/bread. I know we all saw it coming but women are doing all the heavy lifting right now.

I’m worried in the medium term that eg government consultations that affect women will just carry on while we are really fucking busy trying to keep things afloat due to COVID. That when we come out of this, there will be things that went under the radar that are negative for women because we were too busy to respond, organise or lobby and while the media is only interested (understandably) about reporting on one thing.

Yes, single parent families (of which 90% are women-led) are going to struggle the most. DS's best friend is one of 3. His mum is a single mum with almost zero support from the ex (and I guarantee he will be the one cutting maintenance, what little he pays, by this week). Her job is not "key worker" so she's not going to get any childcare support. I suspect she'll stop getting paid shortly. Who is looking out for her and the many many other single mothers out there?

What's grinding my gears at the moment, and I'm seeing a lot more of it atm, are FB and Instagram posts along the lines of 'oooh, allow yourself 5 mins for a break, wash your hair, put on make-up and to pamper yourself whilst you're running round like a blue arsed fly sorting everyone's shit out'.

Wow, a whole 5 mins, you spoil me...

oooh, allow yourself 5 mins for a break, wash your hair, put on make-up and to pamper yourself

Translated as don’t forget to still subscribe to society’s expectations for your gender while dealing with a global pandemic...

Putting in make up and washing my hair is not “pampering myself”. It’s two more fucking things I’m expected to do while trying to keep on top of everything else.

Yes, in amongst sorting out everyone else's shit, can you make yourself presentable, you slattern. Make an effort, you can call it self care if you want.

PaleBlueMoonlight

There is a group called Abortion Support Network and the help women from countries who have no access to abortion.
They can help pay for flights, pay for the abortion and find accommodation.

If a woman in say Poland needs an abortion how is she going to get to the UK, Poland have restricted flights for people travelling in or out.
How ,even if she could get a flight, can she leave if she is supposed to be self isolating at home or is supposed to self isolate on entry to another country.

Oh I found you my friends. All
If these thoughts crossed my mind this morning as I went for a quick run to prepare my head for a day of homeschooling, cleaning, cooking, shopping, volunteering, minding DH’s mental health, sending work emails, Minding DC’s mental health - thank God you guys are here. Let’s mind each other’s mental health.