COVID-19 Pandemic Worsening Gender Inequalities for Women and Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa
Pandemics such as COVID-19 have often resulted in international, national and sub-regional crises, with considerable inequities across many societies. With the already existing structural and socio-economic inequalities in sub-Saharan Africa, the stay-at-home orders, lockdowns, and shutdowns across...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Global Women's Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgwh.2021.686984/full |
| _version_ | 1818354388369932288 |
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| author | Bright Opoku Ahinkorah John Elvis Hagan John Elvis Hagan Edward Kwabena Ameyaw Edward Kwabena Ameyaw Abdul-Aziz Seidu Abdul-Aziz Seidu Thomas Schack |
| author_facet | Bright Opoku Ahinkorah John Elvis Hagan John Elvis Hagan Edward Kwabena Ameyaw Edward Kwabena Ameyaw Abdul-Aziz Seidu Abdul-Aziz Seidu Thomas Schack |
| author_sort | Bright Opoku Ahinkorah |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Pandemics such as COVID-19 have often resulted in international, national and sub-regional crises, with considerable inequities across many societies. With the already existing structural and socio-economic inequalities in sub-Saharan Africa, the stay-at-home orders, lockdowns, and shutdowns across the sub-regional states could worsen and have a tremendous impact on vulnerable groups. Numerous studies across a variety of contexts have well-documented gender, and cultures on varied health outcomes. However, these have not been contextualized in sub-Saharan Africa in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This mini review discusses the ways by which COVID-19 has impacted the lives of girls and women across sub-Saharan Africa and the strategies that can help mitigate these challenges. The mini review specifically shares light on a wide array of dimensions where the inequities exist. These include the disproportionate areas affected by COVID-19; household inequities; educational inequalities; work/employment inequalities; disparities related to healthcare, sexual and reproductive health as well as housing inequities. Conclusively, the review accentuates the need for sub-Saharan African countries to adopt low-cost preventive measures such as discouraging mass gatherings (e.g., local community gatherings), and face masking with non-medical cloth like masks for the local populace as these are crucial in managing the spread of the virus among disproportionate women population. For localities with limited access to handwashing facilities, alternative strategies like alcohol-based hand rub solutions could be deployed. The complex interrelated disparities require a broad set of policy actions to lessen the current burden faced by many women in sub-Saharan Africa. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T19:24:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ce561eb58ad043e695d930f47c54c1eb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-5059 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T19:24:38Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Global Women's Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-ce561eb58ad043e695d930f47c54c1eb2022-12-21T23:34:05ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Global Women's Health2673-50592021-07-01210.3389/fgwh.2021.686984686984COVID-19 Pandemic Worsening Gender Inequalities for Women and Girls in Sub-Saharan AfricaBright Opoku Ahinkorah0John Elvis Hagan1John Elvis Hagan2Edward Kwabena Ameyaw3Edward Kwabena Ameyaw4Abdul-Aziz Seidu5Abdul-Aziz Seidu6Thomas Schack7Faculty of Health, School of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaDepartment of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, GhanaNeurocognition and Action-Biomechanics-Research Group, Faculty of Psychology and Sport Sciences, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, GermanyFaculty of Health, School of Public Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaL & E Research Consult, Wa, GhanaDepartment of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, GhanaCollege of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Services, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, AustraliaNeurocognition and Action-Biomechanics-Research Group, Faculty of Psychology and Sport Sciences, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, GermanyPandemics such as COVID-19 have often resulted in international, national and sub-regional crises, with considerable inequities across many societies. With the already existing structural and socio-economic inequalities in sub-Saharan Africa, the stay-at-home orders, lockdowns, and shutdowns across the sub-regional states could worsen and have a tremendous impact on vulnerable groups. Numerous studies across a variety of contexts have well-documented gender, and cultures on varied health outcomes. However, these have not been contextualized in sub-Saharan Africa in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This mini review discusses the ways by which COVID-19 has impacted the lives of girls and women across sub-Saharan Africa and the strategies that can help mitigate these challenges. The mini review specifically shares light on a wide array of dimensions where the inequities exist. These include the disproportionate areas affected by COVID-19; household inequities; educational inequalities; work/employment inequalities; disparities related to healthcare, sexual and reproductive health as well as housing inequities. Conclusively, the review accentuates the need for sub-Saharan African countries to adopt low-cost preventive measures such as discouraging mass gatherings (e.g., local community gatherings), and face masking with non-medical cloth like masks for the local populace as these are crucial in managing the spread of the virus among disproportionate women population. For localities with limited access to handwashing facilities, alternative strategies like alcohol-based hand rub solutions could be deployed. The complex interrelated disparities require a broad set of policy actions to lessen the current burden faced by many women in sub-Saharan Africa.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgwh.2021.686984/fullCOVID-19girlsinequitysub-Saharan Africawomen |
| spellingShingle | Bright Opoku Ahinkorah John Elvis Hagan John Elvis Hagan Edward Kwabena Ameyaw Edward Kwabena Ameyaw Abdul-Aziz Seidu Abdul-Aziz Seidu Thomas Schack COVID-19 Pandemic Worsening Gender Inequalities for Women and Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa Frontiers in Global Women's Health COVID-19 girls inequity sub-Saharan Africa women |
| title | COVID-19 Pandemic Worsening Gender Inequalities for Women and Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_full | COVID-19 Pandemic Worsening Gender Inequalities for Women and Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_fullStr | COVID-19 Pandemic Worsening Gender Inequalities for Women and Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | COVID-19 Pandemic Worsening Gender Inequalities for Women and Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_short | COVID-19 Pandemic Worsening Gender Inequalities for Women and Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa |
| title_sort | covid 19 pandemic worsening gender inequalities for women and girls in sub saharan africa |
| topic | COVID-19 girls inequity sub-Saharan Africa women |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgwh.2021.686984/full |
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