Address MCO impact on women with ‘gender-responsive’ budget, says think tank

 

Half the single mothers surveyed said they lost their jobs or had their working hours shortened following the lockdown.

PETALING JAYA: The impact of the movement control order (MCO) imposed since March had been different on women compared with men, according to a study carried out by a think tank.

Siti Kamariah Ahmad Subki, CEO of Institut Wanita Berdaya (IWB) Selangor, said the results of the study supported the need for a more “gender-responsive” budget this year.

“According to the study, 50% of single mothers said they had lost their jobs. There was also an increase in domestic violence and worsening mental health conditions among women.

“They experience the impact of Covid-19 (and the lockdown) differently (than men). Therefore, this justifies the need for a more gender-responsive budget this time around,” she said in a webinar tonight.

Siti added that there is a great need for data that broke down the differences between genders in order for aid initiatives to be more effective in helping women in need.

“The budget in itself will not be successful without the right mechanisms to execute it. And even with strong political will and ample money to spend, without data, the aid can’t be distributed effectively to beneficiaries at the grassroots.”

The study conducted by IWB between April to July found that 25% of women surveyed had lost their jobs or faced shortened work hours during the MCO, with nearly 50% of them comprising single mothers.

She added that 43% of the women surveyed came from “sandwich families”, where they were responsible to care for the wellbeing of two generations, namely their children as well as their parents.

“About 35% of women said they experienced mental health incidents during the MCO but only less than 1% said they sought professional help.

“Also, 3% of women said they experienced increased domestic violence (during the MCO). The call rates to hotlines reporting incidents of gender-based violence during the MCO had also tripled,” she said.

Other findings in the survey were that 25% of women had access to credit financing, while around 6% of respondents said they had sought help from loan sharks during the lockdown.

“Also, rather surprisingly, 52% of women respondents said they did not have access to a stable internet connection during the MCO,” Siti said.

Similarly, 64% of women surveyed said they could not afford to purchase additional learning material for their children to help them study more effectively during the MCO, with schools shut and classes held online. - FMT