Study into repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on women's empowerment worldwide

ABU DHABI, UAE, June 19, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- A recent academic study co-authored by Dr. Juan Dempere and Dr. Rihab Grassa delves into the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on women's empowerment worldwide. The investigation critically analyzes data from 93 countries between 2019 and 2020, highlighting both promising and concerning trends in the wake of the global health crisis.

This remarkable study stands out as one of the proud winners of the 3rd Forum for Women in Research (QUWA): Women Empowerment for Global Impact at the University of Sharjah, UAE. The research resonates with the forum's focus on female empowerment and its significant impact globally.

The study is a distinguished product of the robust sponsorship of NAMA Women Advancement Establishment, the strategic sponsor of the QUWA Forum. Founded in 2015, NAMA is dedicated to fostering gender equity and promoting inclusive economic and social growth.

The study exhibits a silver lining amid the pandemic cloud: a rising trend of female representation in corporate boards, executive and managerial roles, and publicly owned enterprises. However, it also points to a decline in the ratio of employed women to the total population, a slight drop in female labor force participation, and an increase in young women disengaged from education or skill acquisition. Moreover, the research identifies an uptick in unemployment rates among women.

The findings highlight the urgent need for initiatives tailored to counteract the unique impacts of the pandemic on women. Support for female employment, education, and political participation is paramount to navigate these challenges effectively. The study underscores the importance of ongoing efforts to boost gender diversity in the business sector, which has been less affected by the pandemic's fallout on female empowerment.

Strikingly, the research shows a statistically significant decrease of 2.64% and 7.67% in the female employment to population ratio for women aged 15+ and 15-24, respectively. It also documents a modest yet significant drop of 0.06% in the female labor force's percentage of the total labor force.

Interestingly, the proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments rose by 2.88%, suggesting that women's political leadership did not wane during the crisis. Similarly, the representation of women in corporate positions across public firms worldwide appeared to withstand the pandemic's impacts.

However, the study reports concerning increases in the share of youth not in education, employment, or training as a percentage of the female youth population (8.53%), and a rise of 12.83 percent in female unemployment.

While the research provides crucial insights into women's empowerment during the COVID-19 pandemic, it also underscores the need for more nuanced understanding. Future research should focus on specific population segments such as mothers with infants, who may have been particularly vulnerable to the impacts of the pandemic.

Overall, the research emphasizes that policies and actions addressing gender disparities need to be at the forefront of crisis response and recovery strategies. Through such measures, women's empowerment can be continually advanced across all spheres of life, even amidst global crises.

The research articles is available at: https://doi.org/10.7189/jogh.13.06021
You can also watch a brief summary of the article in YouTube at: https://youtu.be/Q__kIDzHOro

Haris bin Aziz
Haris PR Services
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az_haris@hotmail.com

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