TY - JOUR
T1 - Shecession
T2 - The Downfall of Colombian Women During the Covid-19 Pandemic
AU - Tribin, Ana
AU - García-Rojas, Karen
AU - Herrera-Idarraga, Paula
AU - Morales, Leonardo Fabio
AU - Ramirez-Bustamante, Natalia
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 IAFFE.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - This article explores the short-term effects of the COVID-19 crisis on gender gaps in the Colombian labor market. Colombia offers an interesting case for analysis because, as with most countries in the Global South, its combination of formal and informal labor in the labor market complicates the pandemic’s aftermath. This analysis highlights the differences between men’s and women’s labor outcomes in terms of the effects of the crisis. Specifically, the study documents a phenomenon that the authors call a “female fall,” by which, in comparison to men, women lost status in the labor market. This article also shows a downgrade in the condition of women who remained employed via lower wages, especially in the informal sector. As a result of the pandemic, increasing numbers of women were relegated to domestic work. Finally, the article discusses how women’s burden of unpaid care increased. HIGHLIGHTS: In Colombia, COVID-19 hit women workers harder than men due to sectoral differences and domestic duties. Lockdown imposed a high caregiving burden that mostly fell on women. Women were more likely to drop out of the labor force to devote themselves to care work, reversing progress toward gender equality. Women were more vulnerable to precarious work conditions and lower wages. Ongoing recovery needs to better address the gendered impact of pandemic.
AB - This article explores the short-term effects of the COVID-19 crisis on gender gaps in the Colombian labor market. Colombia offers an interesting case for analysis because, as with most countries in the Global South, its combination of formal and informal labor in the labor market complicates the pandemic’s aftermath. This analysis highlights the differences between men’s and women’s labor outcomes in terms of the effects of the crisis. Specifically, the study documents a phenomenon that the authors call a “female fall,” by which, in comparison to men, women lost status in the labor market. This article also shows a downgrade in the condition of women who remained employed via lower wages, especially in the informal sector. As a result of the pandemic, increasing numbers of women were relegated to domestic work. Finally, the article discusses how women’s burden of unpaid care increased. HIGHLIGHTS: In Colombia, COVID-19 hit women workers harder than men due to sectoral differences and domestic duties. Lockdown imposed a high caregiving burden that mostly fell on women. Women were more likely to drop out of the labor force to devote themselves to care work, reversing progress toward gender equality. Women were more vulnerable to precarious work conditions and lower wages. Ongoing recovery needs to better address the gendered impact of pandemic.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Colombia
KW - Gender gap
KW - employment
KW - informality
KW - time use
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85169338227&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13545701.2023.2230218
DO - 10.1080/13545701.2023.2230218
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85169338227
SN - 1354-5701
VL - 29
SP - 158
EP - 193
JO - Feminist Economics
JF - Feminist Economics
IS - 4
ER -