More women lost jobs in the pandemic in India, compared to men, says expert

Indian women spent more time doing unpaid care work at home, said Daniela Bas, director, UNDESA, speaking at an event recently

Data from India shows that in the first lockdown in 2020, only seven per cent of men lost their jobs, compared to 47 per cent of women, said Daniela Bas, director, UNDESA and Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UN.

While speaking at a side event of the United Nation’s 60th session of the Commission of Social Development, ‘Women cooperative warriors combat COVID-19 with sustainable gender and equity strategies: iconic case of Working Women’s Forum (India) and the Indian Cooperative Network for Women’, she said, Indian women spent more time doing unpaid care work at home than men. “On an average, they spent more than ten times on unpaid domestic chores than men. Incidents of domestic violence also increased during the lockdown as many women were trapped at home with their abusers,” she added.Esim Simel, head cooperatives unit, International Labour Organization, Geneva, said, in the face of the pandemic, women coopera