Opinion | In Hong Kong’s post-pandemic new normal, women and girls should be front and centre

Name: More women become funeral undertakers in South Korea as female taboos surrounding death fade
Uploaded: 2021-03-06T00:15:17.000Z
Duration: 3 min 5 s
Description: More women become funeral undertakers in South Korea as female taboos surrounding death fade

As society grapples with the human and economic costs of Covid-19, attention should be paid to the often neglected impact on women

Ahead of International Women’s Day, we also need to recognise that women are not just victims, but are vital to rebuilding our communities and economies

Reading Time:3 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

A pregnant woman walks past a street mural in Hong Kong in March last year. Actions that benefit Hong Kong’s women and girls will ripple out to enhance the well-being of the whole of society. Photo: AFP

Fiona Nott

Published: 8:15am, 6 Mar 2021Updated: 8:15am, 6 Mar 2021

International Women’s Day, on March 8, celebrates women worldwide. It’s also a time to reflect on what we have achieved and how far we still have to go.

Even as the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines gathers pace here in Hong Kong, we are seeing the devastating and tragic human cost of this pandemic. This year, is there much to celebrate?

With the intermittent disruption to schools and care centres causing months of online learning and limited external child and elderly care options, women – particularly mothers – are seeing their unpaid workload dramatically increase, which likely contributes to mental health issues.

Worryingly, domestic violence also increased in the first few months of the pandemic, with one frontline service agency noting a 25 per cent increase in hotline calls.

Women are also over-represented in some of economic sectors most severely affected by the pandemic, such as retail, which potentially compounds difficulties for already vulnerable groups such as single mothers and ethnic minority women.

03:05

More women become funeral undertakers in South Korea as female taboos surrounding death fade

Domestic violence. The digital divide. Financial insecurity. Disproportionate caring responsibilities. These issues aren’t new and many have made the headlines for a long time. Many of us now mentally switch off when we hear about these issues. But, for many people, particularly women and girls, there isn’t a way to opt out. It’s a lived reality.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x