The team conducted telephonic surveys of 1,545 households across six states in Northern India, namely Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra, in August 2020, near the height of the first Covid-19 wave in India.
The findings, to be published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Economic Development, revealed that women reported a 38 per cent increase in depression, a 44 per cent increase in anxiety and a 73 per cent increase in exhaustion.
“Not having access to work and socialisation outside the home can be very detrimental for women’s mental health in developing countries,” said Gaurav Khanna, Assistant Professor of economics at the varsity’s School of Global Policy and Strategy.
“We found in our study, the consequences of lockdown policies are exacerbated for women. We hope policymakers in developing countries and beyond know what the implications are for these policies, especially for those in vulnerable positions because if there is another wave, communities could be faced with similar lockdowns,” Khanna added.
The paper also outlines policy recommendations that could help address the mental and physical health consequences experienced by women during the pandemic.
For example, in certain parts of India, the government did distribute food to rural areas, which helped prevent malnutrition and food insecurity. Counselling and helpline services offered over-the-phone can also help address the pandemic’s mental health impacts, the authors noted.
The findings also have implications for women all over the world who experience lockdowns, they said.
“We suspect the impact in the US on women and mothers in particular was also exacerbated,” Khanna said. “When kids are not in school, or daycare, the burden usually falls on women because of traditional gender roles with child care. Policymakers should be cognisant of the fact that women are going to be impacted differently by these policies.”
Source: IANS
