Colombia | Women at the center of the recovery

Summary

Historically, economic crises have had heterogeneous effects, but on this occasion, the consequences have been particularly devastating for women. This is partly explained by structural characteristics and those caused by the pandemic, issues that need to be addressed in order to build a sustainable recovery.

Key points

• Key points:
• Structurally, women are more likely to be in low-paying, easily substitutable, sporadic, low-hour, informal jobs.
• The pandemic and social distancing affects more than proportionally sectors such as commerce, restaurants, hotels, entertainment, which have a high proportion of female labor.
• School closures forced many women to change their household routines and to leave the labor market, forcing them to take on childcare, adult and/or household tasks more than proportionally compared to men.
• Public and private policy decisions to promote recovery must be especially careful to work actively for the well-being of women in a way that generates inclusive and sustainable growth.
• It is important to boost recovery in sectors with high female labor participation or to promote female hiring in highly male-dominated sectors with economic incentives.

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