Innovision Consulting’s report “Impact of COVID-19 and Disasters on Women in Bangladesh” exposes the disproportionate burden placed on women during the pandemic and recent natural disasters. Conducted for the National Resilience Programme (NRP) through UN Women, the study surveyed 368 respondents across seven districts, including Khulna, Jamalpur, Satkhira, Cox’s Bazaar, Kurigram, Dhaka, and Narayanganj.
Married women saw their average monthly income fall by 70%, while marginalized women experienced a 54% decline. Two out of every three female respondents also reported reduced family income due to disasters. Women spent 28% more time on unpaid domestic work than before the pandemic. During disasters, 40% faced increased care burdens and 39% resorted to open defecation because of poor WASH facilities. Innovision also found that one in every two women experienced negative effects on physical health from lack of access to services.
The impact of COVID-19 and disasters on women also intensified gender-based violence risks in shelters and forced many families to stop their children’s education due to financial pressure. Mobility restrictions further weakened women’s decision-making authority and leadership. Innovision provides critical evidence on how COVID-19 and disasters have widened existing gender inequalities and created new vulnerabilities for women across Bangladesh.
Read the full report here: Link
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