Coronavirus: A Step Back for Women?

Is the lockdown turning back the clock on women's lives? While men have paid disproportionately with their lives during this pandemic, it's women who appear to be bearing the brunt of the economic fallout of the pandemic. They are taking on a greater share of domestic work and childcare - and are more likely than men to be working in sectors that have shut down during the pandemic.

The UN has described the worldwide increase in domestic abuse as a 'shadow pandemic' alongside Covid-19. It's thought cases have increased by 20% during the lockdown, as many people are trapped at home with their abuser. Many are asking if this is the biggest ever leap backward for women. And yet female leaders at the helm of various nations have been commended for managing the crisis better than their male counterparts.

While resilience, pragmatism, benevolence and trust are cited as successful features of women leaders - is it also a reflection that where women are elected as leaders there is a greater presence of women in positions of power across the board?