We are seriously missing women, as according to PWC (2021), increasing the female

employment rate across the OECD will result in a $6 trillion growth in their GDP. This does not
necessarily mean that women’s foothold in the labor market has consistently been ignored;
instead, the culprit is believed to be COVID-19's initiatives of a new rocky era – the
“Shecession”. Referring to the disproportionate employment downturns levied on women, this
era derives from female workers’ extensive participation in front-line jobs with low wages and
high health risks as well as their primary household responsibilities, notably childcare; women’s
economic well-being, thereby, might be more prone to declines. The phenomenon is believed
to have existed for a long time; however, it was not until the pandemic was the situation
amplified, generating destructive effects on women, especially in OECD countries.

For a long time, women have consistently been reported to be the most present in low-paid
jobs demanding various social interactions. According to the International Labour Organization
(2020), more than 2 billion people work informal jobs that lack basic security, notably social
protection coverage; 42% of female workers participate in these sectors with 10% more than
men. When the world is facing COVID-19, these jobs are the first to line up for cutback – as
physical touches and communication are being minimized in hope of social immunity. The
situation would not be extreme if these women are not facing with economic hardships;
however, Bateman & Ross (2020) shows in America, 57% of working women are taking full-time
roles while 41% are living in households earning 2 times less than the federal poverty level. In
this circumstance, low-income women apparently become a vulnerable group in the labor
force, having from little to no immunity towards this pandemic. In addition, due to women’s
overrepresentation in front-line jobs, they face much more health hazards when being exposed
to many people in large-traffic, mainstream places such as supermarkets or restaurants. This
scene might be preexistent for many women, but it only got amplified amidst COVID-19 with
their skyrocketing risks of contracting the disease and at the same time losing their main source
of income due to extensive job reduction.
Although not being paid accordingly, women are still reported to be the main caregivers of the
family, especially with childcare responsibilities. UN (2020) reports that on average, domestic
tasks take up 4.1 hours a day for women, 60% more than men – around 1.7 hour. The share
only gets more unbalanced with the COVID-19 outbreak, as over 1 billion students must stay at
home (UNESCO, 2020) and the supervision is mainly levied on working mothers. As a result,
caregiving becomes a “second full-time job” for them with 31.5 hours per week, 7.7 hours more
than men according to PWC UK (2021). From a primary household duty, it has now become a
burden for working women, impeding with their careers, or even forcing some to withdraw
from the labor force. With schools gradually shifting online and childcare centers getting
increasingly overpriced with inadequate services (Workman & Howard, 2018), the stay-at-home
mother trend is projected to continue, returning to the 20 th century when women’s mission is
believed to be in the kitchen. COVID-19 may have just dismissed communal efforts to end
gender prejudices at home, constraining women’s ability in the work force.

The “Shecession” threatens women’s both short-term and long-term economic well-being,
especially for underrepresented communities such as low-income women. Soto et al (2020)
proves that the uttermost concern of over 50% American women is economic security, notably
in paying mortgage and daily expenses. With their careers being hindered by sudden downturns
as well as increasing domestic responsibilities, their current finance condition has become
severely affected. Eventually, as the figure of women’s care contribution rises to US$ 11 trillion
(UN, 2020), the inequality may lead to absurd losses in women’s productivity at work, as
women can take an exhaustive dual role at work and at home together with the stress from low
income, which can ultimately result in missing GDP growth. COVID-19 is indeed a turning point
in community’s awareness towards the importance of gender equality at the workplace,
emphasizing on the importance of women’s financial health.

In conclusion, the “Shecession” is a result of long-standing inequalities regarding women,

notably their disproportionate participation in low-wage jobs and primary domestic duties;
COVID-19 can only be considered a catalyst that amplifies the situation, calling for community’s
actions. It is advisable that any sorts of interventions – policies, movements, or public
campaigns – take this phenomenon as deep-rooted and precedent-setting, not solely a result of
COVID-19, to gain the most suitable approach in the future.
Reference List:

International Labour Organisation (ILO) (2020, 29 April). ILO Monitor: COVID-19 and the world
of work. Third edition.

https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@dgreports/@dcomm/documents/briefingnote/
wcms_743146.pdf

Soto, V., Grozier, T., Barreto, F. & Castillo, A. (2020, October). AMERICA’S RECOVERY FROM THE
2020 “SHECESSION”: Building a Female Future of Childcare and Work. Lyndon B. Johnson School
of Public Affairs.

http://dx.doi.org/10.26153/tsw/10385

PWC UK (2021). Women in Work Index 2021

https://www.pwc.co.uk/services/economics/insights/women-in-work-index.html

UN Women (2020). COVID-19 AND THE CARE ECONOMY: IMMEDIATE ACTION AND
STRUCTURAL TRANSFORMATION FOR A GENDER-RESPONSIVE RECOVERY.

https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/library/
publications/2020/policy-brief-covid-19-and-the-care-economy-en.pdf?la=en&vs=407

UNESCO (2020). Education: From disruption to recovery.

https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse

Workman, S., Howard, S. (2018). Understanding the True Cost of Child Care for Infants and
Toddlers.
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/early-childhood/reports/2018/11/15/460970/
understanding-true-cost-child-care-infants-toddlers/