What we know:

• Existing inequality means that women’s experiences of coronavirus will be different to men’s. These experiences will be particularly stark for women who face additional disadvantage, including BAME women, disabled women, older women and women on low incomes.
• Women’s position in work – on the front-line in health, retail and care roles; and in sectors adversely affected by the crisis like hospitality – puts them at risk of losing their jobs, having to take unpaid leave, or being exposed to the virus.
• Women tend to be primary carers for children and elderly relatives, with the closure of schools and childcare settings, women are now forced to balance these responsibilities along with their work without formal support.
• Women are at risk throughout this crisis of falling into poverty, and facing abuse and violence within their homes during lockdown.

What we are calling for:

• Women’s experiences to inform Government and business response to the crisis to ensure they do not fall through the cracks
• Women working on the front-line to be protected, with adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), childcare provision and support to safely travel to work
• Existing social security provision to be reviewed to ensure women have an adequate safety net, in terms of Universal Credit and Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
• Businesses to adapt to support parents within their workforce to balance work and care, and ensure that parents are not penalised for caring roles throughout this crisis.
• Protection for women who are at risk of violence and abuse in their homes during lockdown
• A feminist economic recovery from Covid-19, ensuring that we take this opportunity to build back better and do not let the inequality, which has exacerbated throughout this crisis, worsen for women in Wales.

Read our briefing paper on a Feminist Economic Recovery for Wales here

What we are doing:

• We have adapted delivery of our Agile Nation 2 project to ensure we are still able to support women and businesses to progress and improve their working practices
• Read our briefing paper below on Women and Covid-19 to see our recommendations for Government

• We are working and coordinating with other women’s organisations to ensure women’s voices and experiences are heard and understood throughout this crisis. Read our joint statement with Fawcett Society

• We are supporting businesses to adapt their ways of working. Read our guidance on agile working

• We are working to collect and record women’s experience of coronavirus to understand its impact, and ensure we are better equipped to respond.