India declared its victory over COVID-19 after the first wave in 2020, and we were under the impression that the pandemic was under control. The second wave of COVID-19 caught us unawares. The impact of the second wave is now waning, and the number of cases per day has dropped to below 40,000. Now is the time to assess the impact of the second wave. A national lockdown was announced during the first wave of the pandemic, but the response was less strict and more localised during the second wave. The second wave started in Maharashtra, then moved south, and finally reached north. The urban economy was hit hardest in the first wave. The agricultural sector was the silver lining registering a positive growth although the economy contracted by 7.3 percent in 2020–21 as per National Statistical Office (NSO) data.
Health impacts economic growth through the channel of labour productivity. When health stock increases, it increases per capita income through productivity, where everyone can produce more per unit of labour input. Economic literature also advocates that gender equality boosts economic growth. The role of women in development gained momentum in the 1970s, and the concept of Gender in Development (GID) was developed in the 1980s, focusing on creating opportunities for women to promote national development.
Studies have expounded that COVID-19-related labour market distortions have impacted women’s labour productivity more severely than men, affecting economic growth. As per the UN Women report, 118 women for every 100 men are in abject poverty, highlighting the pandemic's impact on women and development.
Studies have expounded that COVID-19-related labour market distortions have impacted women’s labour productivity more severely than men, affecting economic growth. As per the UN Women report, 118 women for every 100 men are in abject poverty, highlighting the pandemic's impact on women and development.
The Global Gender Gap Report 2021 highlights a significant gender gap in political and economic participation worldwide, which has dropped many countries’ rankings of gender equality, including India, during the pandemic. The estimations indicate an average 145.5 years’ time frame to achieve gender parity in politics and 267.6 years to gain economic opportunity equity globally.
In India, the progress made on SDG5 has been reversed largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic as per an ORF article on gendered impact. India has been experiencing a decline in female labour participation, and the situation worsened during the pandemic.
The reaction to the second wave was different from the first wave, where the spread of it in rural India was devastating. Rural Maharashtra, UP, and Kerala were the most affected states. Poor health infrastructure, severe vaccine hesitancy, and supply-side restrictions put additional constraints on the lives and livelihood of rural people.
Further, the uncertainty and ferociousness of the second wave put costs to the rural economy due to reverse migration and migrant workers deciding to stay put to search new ways of surviving in their rural areas of origin. The second wave affected rural livelihoods in terms of the high risk of mortality from COVID-19, unemployment, and the depletion of savings, which often lead to increased vulnerability. The unemployment rate in rural India was 10.63% in May 2021.
Since many rural families rely on remittances and income from permanent or seasonal immigrants, the loss of income affects returning immigrants and their families. A Survey conducted last year (between June and August 2020) showed that migrant workers' income had fallen by an average of 85 percent after returning to their rural areas of origin. Family savings have depleted, and in many cases, families have difficulty repaying existing loans and are pushed into debt to meet their basic needs. Women are burdened with debt to cover expenses related to the return of immigrant family members. There are two new terms in the second wave: COVID-widows and COVID-orphans. There has been an increase in COVID-widows in the rural areas.
Women in rural areas experience additional challenges. They are finding it difficult to register on the CoWIN portal. The digital divide and poor health infrastructure have further aggravated the problem.
Women in rural areas experience additional challenges. They are finding it difficult to register on the CoWIN portal. The digital divide and poor health infrastructure have further aggravated the problem.
Further, women in the unorganised sector had to make a permanent exit from the labour market to take care of ailing family members. Their unemployment figure reached the double-digit mark again in May 2021 after May 2020. As per the World Bank report, more than 12 million people in India have been pushed to abject poverty. The impact is growing for both urban and rural women.
Since the end of last year, gender-based violence has been on the rise in India. The pandemic has exacerbated the situation. Sexual violence, online harassment, and domestic abuse have increased. The National Commission for Women (NCW) received 5,297 domestic violence cases in 2020, compared with 2,960 in 2019. During the national lockdown last year, women suffered domestic abuse substantially. Continuing this year, the National Council for Women received 2,000 cases of crimes against women, of which a quarter were cases of domestic violence. However, these figures are quite underreported as many women facing violence choose to remain silent and not report the crime.
An increase in maternal deaths has been reported in The Lancet article, which indicates that the second wave globally affected pregnant women adversely. India is not an exception. There has been a sharp increase in stillbirths and maternal depression also during the second wave.
The pandemic has made the young female professionals in urban India more vulnerable and uncertain. LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index has shown that the Individual Confidence Index (ICI) score for female professionals fell from +57 in March 2021 to +49 in early June 2021. During the same time, ICI for working males fell from +58 in March to +56. The index is four times lower for women as compared to men. Balancing professional life and additional responsibilities in the personal life have ceased their career progression during the pandemic. Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) estimates reveal that 19.3 percent of women with graduation and above qualifications are unemployed and active job seekers during January-April 2021.
Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) was set up in 2005 to help rural communities access health services. They played an important role during the pandemic. However, many ASHA workers got infected and lost their lives while doing their duty. A resilient India has been able to fight the second wave. An inspiring story of ASHA worker, Suman Dhebe, who used to walk 12-13 kilometre every day to protect five villages and kept them COVID free during the second wave, is one such example of resilience.
As the second wave is receding, the fear of the third wave is looming large. Under the circumstances, the Indian economy needs a well-planned gender-inclusive recovery path. Women participation in the labour force is equally important in an economy to grow.
As the second wave is receding, the fear of the third wave is looming large. Under the circumstances, the Indian economy needs a well-planned gender-inclusive recovery path. Women participation in the labour force is equally important in an economy to grow. Public expenditure schemes and workforce programmes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) should be redesigned to include more unemployed women from the informal sector crowd. Vaccine hesitancy is severe in rural areas. Most Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), ASHAs, and Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANMs) workers are women, and they should be recognised as frontline healthcare workers. Their services are needed to be regularised to extend their services to address the demand side issues related to vaccine hesitancy. Government should take initiatives to expand and strengthen the distribution channels of the rural healthcare facilities through the women-led self-help groups (SHGs). Training should be conducted to improve digital literacy to fight against the forthcoming third wave.
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Dr. Dutta Gupta is currently associated with BML Munjal University as Associate Professor of Economics. She is a Ph.D. in Economics from Jadavpur University. She ...
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