The Global Hunger Crisis: How Women Are Fighting A Similar But Different COVID-19 Battle All Over The World

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Women all over the world have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Professional women in the U.S. have quit their jobs to help with childcare while women in developing countries have had to adjust to the market closures, lockdowns, and lack of food or resources for themselves and their families. Women are part of the 2 billion people impacted by hunger, and COVID-19 is only exacerbating the problem.

Women are experiencing higher rates of hunger for reasons like culture, law, unequal pay, and lack of healthcare throughout the world. Often the one preparing the food, women are usually last to eat due to many cultural norms according to the "Left Out and Left Behind" Policy Report by CARE in August 2020. They are often also providing paid and domestic unpaid work such as at-home teaching, childcare, cleaning, and cooking. When tourism and schools are shut down, women must find a way to juggle financially providing and directly caring for their families at home.

Hunger is not fake news. There is a global hunger crisis and women are hit the hardest. While the U.S. is seeing a shift in women in the workplace due to COVID-19, developing countries are seeing a physical impact that may not be recoverable.

"During COVID 19 women are experiencing hunger in more extreme ways," said Emily Janoch, CARE Director of Knowledge Management. "Women are most often responsible for feeding their families and when food is low, they eat the least and eat last. The global economic impact of COVID is taking a toll on women and girls in a way that may have long-standing implications, which is why they must be part of the solution."

Women also make up 43 percent of the agricultural workforce and receive the most microloans to start their own businesses. But the impact of the crisis is not only financial. For these families it is a matter of life or death as nearly half of child deaths are linked to malnutrition. Since women are unable to work due to the government shutdowns and safety precautions in place, the pressure is higher than ever to feed their families.    

"COVID-19 has impacted women and families all over the world," said Janoch. "In many countries across the globe there is no paid work from home option. The cultural barriers and gender discrimination even prior to COVID19 leaves women with little job security or financial stability. COVID-19 is expected to send tens of millions of people back into extreme poverty and hunger."

About CARE
Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside women and girls because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. That's why women and girls are at the heart of CARE's community-based efforts to confront hunger, ensure nutrition and food security for all, improve education and health, create economic opportunity and respond to emergencies. In 2019, CARE worked in 100 countries and reached more than 68 million people around the world. For more information visit care.org.

SOURCE CARE