TWICE as VULNERABLE to the COVID-19 PANDEMIC: BEING a WOMAN and WORKING in the INFORMAL SECTOR

Benewende SEBGO , Institut Supérieur des Sciences de la Population (ISSP)
Madeleine Wayack Pambe, Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo
Alis BAMBARA, IDESO-University of Geneva
Eric Tchouaket, Université de Québec en Outaouais

Restricting people's mobility and confining them to their homes were key measures in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In countries where the informal sector employs almost all women workers, these measures created or reinforced their economic vulnerability. From an intersectional perspective, this paper examines the impact of COVID-19 response measures on women in the informal sector in Burkina Faso, using data from a mixed qualitative and quantitative study. The results show that, in terms of women's activities, the main impact of these interventions was the lockdown and cessation of economic activities, leading to an overall reduction in income. These effects on women were most pronounced in fruit and vegetable traders and restaurant owners. Furthermore, the analyses indicate a deterioration in the food situation in respondents' households during the pandemic response period. We also find that the permanent presence of children in households and their involvement in domestic work and care reduced the burden of some of these activities on women. Our conclusions suggest that responses to health crises need to be gender-inclusive and consider the specific needs of women in the informal sector to protect them from the negative effects of health crises.

Keywords: Population, Shocks and Pandemics, Gender Dynamics, Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination, Population and Development

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