In a nutshell
- Women’s subjective well-being (SWB) in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia during the COVID-19 pandemic has been less than men’s SWB. This is the opposite of the findings in the literature that women’s SWB is generally higher than men’s.
- About 40% of women in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia reported that they spent more hours caring for children during the pandemic than before. A similar rate (about 35%) reported that they spent more hours doing Housework.
- Reduction in household income during the pandemic is the most important factor in reducing women’s and men’s SWB.
- More housework during the pandemic reduced SWB for women in urban areas and women out of the labor force.
- There needs to be a gendered policy response to the pandemic that accounts for the fact that women bear the burden of work and the economic pressures during the pandemic.
![The Pandemic and Care Policies: A Good Crisis that Should not Go to Waste](https://erf.org.eg/app/uploads/2019/10/Ghada-Barsoum-e1598519580717-150x150.jpg)
Research Fellows
Ghada Barsoum
Associate Professor and Chair of the Department...
![The Pandemic and Care Policies: A Good Crisis that Should not Go to Waste](https://erf.org.eg/app/uploads/2015/12/1611065879_606_77902_nl_mahdimajbouri-150x150.png)
Research Fellows
Mahdi Majbouri
Associate Professor, Babson College, Wellesley, MA