The COVID-19 pandemic, like most crises, has differential effects on men and women. Women are more vulnerable to the economic impacts of COVID-19, given that among other reasons, they are disproportionately employed in vulnerable sectors and hold greater responsibility for child and elder care. In the United States, 78% of those who dropped out of the labor force between August and September were women. 

Undoubtedly, one long-term effect of the pandemic will be a creeping backslide of gender equality, especially in low-income countries where women’s participation in formal employment is already much lower than men’s. Men, while also feeling the economic effects of COVID-19 (albeit less pronounced), appear to have higher mortality rates from the virus than women do. 

Although researchers have yet to pinpoint the cause of this vulnerability, whether it be sex or gender related, most agree that particular gender-driven reasons may be to blame—like men being less likely to seek out health services. Learn more on on this week’s COVID-19 Weekly Watch by I4DI, as we dive into the intersect between gender and the pandemic, and take a deeper look at how the crisis has unfolded in India.

Additional stats from this week include:

• By this time next year additional 47 million women and girls will be living on less than $1.90 a day worldwide because of COVID-19. This is a 12% increase from January 2020.

• Men are more than twice as likely to die of COVID-19 than women, regardless of age.

• 78% of workers who dropped out of U.S. labor force between Aug-Sep were women.

• 4 in 10 Indian women lost jobs in March and April compared to 3 in 10 Indian men.

• 1 in 179 Indians have contracted COVID-19; 114,610 total deathsal