Policy Briefs
The Pandemic and Care Policies: A Good Crisis that Should not Go to Waste
No.
PB 74
Publisher
ERF
Date
February, 2022
Topic
I. Health
J1. Demographic Economics
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.
Research Fellows
Ghada Barsoum
Associate Professor and Chair of the Department...
Research Fellows
Mahdi Majbouri
Associate Professor, Babson College, Wellesley, MA