The impact of COVID-19 on women's rights

Experience from past epidemics clearly shows that a health crisis has always led to a regression of gender equality. The necessary restrictions taken by the European Union to contain the spread of the coronavirus has led to immediate and alarming effects.
The most relevant consequence is the increase in domestic violence. The World Health Organisation has published one week ago statistics reporting the escalation of domestic violence against children and women in China.
In February 2020, a police station in Jingzhou has received 162 reports of domestic violence, which is an extremely high number compared to the 47 cases reported in 2019. Those data are already worrying, but we must not forget that many cases of domestic violence are not reported to the police.
Pre-existing violence can escalate, from psychological violence to physical and sexual violence. Today, we are facing the concrete risk of increases in femicides and infanticides. Many factors may exacerbate the risk of violence against women, such as stress, disruption of social and protective networks, lack of contact with friends and family who may provide support and protection, and decrease access to services.
To face this situation, most of the 27 members of the European Union that are severely affected by the pandemic have put in place extremely necessary measures to provide support to women and children in danger, such as emergency telephone numbers dedicated to providing victims with police assistance, psychological support due to the high risk of an increase in suicides, and support for accommodation relocation.
Emergency chats, online platforms, and phone applications active 24/7 are also used in cases where the victim cannot have enough space or time to call for help.
For women that need accommodation, some EU members have allocated additional funding to provide accommodation centres with more places so that social distancing can be respected, and more personal protective and hygiene equipment (masks, gloves, disinfectant) to combat the spread of COVID-19. Hotel and other facilities have for example been made available to accommodate women in danger.
These practices must be urgently shared between each member of the EU in order to help countries adopt preventive and responsive measures to protect women and children in danger. We need to tackle the heightened risk of exposure to domestic violence by raising public awareness at the highest level and by sharing information between the Member States.
Another concern is the unavailability of doctors and the subsequent possible discontinuation of pregnancy termination services and of contraception requiring prescription due to containment measures. Some EU countries have taken temporary measures such as recognition of previous prescriptions or made such products free during the crisis given that women working in lower-paid sectors and vulnerable groups are most at risk.
The increase of physical violence and the limitation of access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights is not the only consequence of this situation. The coronavirus outbreak is both a health and economic crisis.
Women represent the largest percentage of part-time, freelance and informal workers in the EU and the majority of those working in lower-paying sectors hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic such as service and tourism industries and educational and child/elderly care sectors.
Flexible working arrangements as well as granting or rearranging parental and carers leave for women with caring responsibilities for children and dependant older/ill relatives all over Europe is very urgent.
Isolation measures, teleworking, school closures had a strong impact on households. Housework is mainly done by women: that situation leads them to work at home and take care of children. This job that was done by paid professionals is handed over to women without being paid.
Furthermore, other forms of unpaid work may occur: for example, the lack of masks has led to a call for solidarity in some countries, asking women tailors to make masks free of charge for nursing staff. The initiative can be touching in terms of social cohesion but is worrying: first, women work for free to compensate for the lack of preparation of the state, secondly, it’s a stressful demand, how to stop when the pressure becomes too great? how to say no when we work for the common good?
Women’s rights, uneasily gained by decades of political struggles, must not be questioned in this period. Since every crisis has a significant impact on women’s rights, today we have to ensure and protect these rights and their concrete implementation even more. The gender perspective should be systematically included in all stages of the EU political and policy response to the crisis. Women’s involvement in decision-making processes is crucial in order to strengthen the resilience of our communities.
With this in mind, I have worked together with my colleagues within the European Parliament in calling on the European Union and all 27 members of the bloc to raise public awareness, ensure protection services for women in danger, share data, knowledge and best practices.
Women’s rights cannot be considered as a second rate priority. In line with these requests, and in order to improve discussions and dialogues between each EU member on gender equality, I would like to stress once again the need to have a dedicated Council configuration on Gender Equality gathering Ministers and Secretaries of States in charge of this matter.
Now more than ever, the need for such a configuration is apparent. European women cannot wait any longer.