Jacinda Ardern, Angela Merkel, Tsai Ing-wen, Mette Frederiksen. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, female global leaders have been hailed for their successes in steering their countries through the crisis. Media reportshave repeatedly shown that many of the countries able to limit the negative impacts of Covid-19 are led by women – such as Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, New Zealand and Taiwan. The presence of these leaders has not been mirrored across the globe, where womenfind themselves underrepresented in key positions dealing with the pandemic. A survey by the charity CAREfound only 26 of 30 countries around the world had at least one-third female membership in national committees established to respond to the emergency. Only one had equal representation. Among the study’sfindings was that countries with more women in leadership are more likely to deliver responses that consider the effects of the coronavirus crisis on women and girls – such as gender-based violence or sexual and reproductive health services. Italy – one of thefirst and worstaffected countries in the world – was not included in the study. But during thefirst stage of the emergency, women were completely excluded from the political management of the pandemic and their voice was absent from the subsequent post-pandemic socio-economic response. No women were on the team of experts advising the government, and the only female presence in the daily civil protection briefings was the sign-language interpreter. This is despite the coronavirus sequencefirst being isolated by three Italian women scientists, despite the high number of women in key worker roles in healthcare, retail, education logistics and childcare, where they were highly involved on a daily basis in the management of the crisis, and despite their important role as family carers. Such gender inequalities are commonplace in Italian society and the labour market, and they have been highlighted by the lockdown and its effects. This is a country with one of the lowest percentages of women’s participation in the labour market in Europe. Women who do work are employed in higher numbers in jobs with lower access to remote working, with lower pay, and a higher exposure to occupational risks – all of which have proved key factors during the course of the pandemic. During the lockdown, those sectors which remained active – health and social care, essential retail, education etc – employ up to 77%women. Beyond lockdown, other femaledominated sectors of the economy, such as retail and tourism, that closed during lockdown, continue with reduced activity and will continue to be negatively affected in the postpandemic economy. Added to that, female workers are exposed to a higher risk of contagion: 12%of men and 28%of women work in occupations with a high risk of Covid-19 infection. This combined with a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) makes women more vulnerable to contagion, and 70%of women who contracted the virus did so at work. Italy started phase two of its lockdown lifting on May 4th, with an estimated 2.7 million workers returning to work on that day. An estimated 72%of those workers are men, leaving women managing home working and full-time childcare as schools and childcare remained closed. The pandemic has reduced the quality of life for women, with an increase in already high levels of housework responsibility – exacerbated due to the inability to have external help. 68%of working women with partners have dedicated more time to housework, but only 40%of men have done the same. There were similar disparities with home schooling and childcare. Without women’s voices addressing such issues in power, they are unlikely to be addressed. The exclusion of 12 | 90% women Home care workers: 70% women Nurses: 80% women Supermarket cashiers: 82% women Teachers: Source: Politico (2020) Profession employment for women in Italy
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