The Impacts of COVID-19 on the Exercise of Women Economic Rights: Particular Emphasis on the Rights of Women in the Informal Sector inLideta Sub City
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Date
2021-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Currently, the world is hit by a pandemic called Covid- 19, which has shown to affect
and make everyone vulnerable. The pandemic by itself appears not to discriminate against
anyone but the level of its impact creates inequality, particularly against women. Women in most
places are found at higher risk of vulnerability because of the pandemic in all aspects of their
life; mainly their economic rights are being highly impacted. Among women, those engaged in
the informal sector are affected and facing serious economic problems. The pandemic
exacerbated the already existed poor living and working situations of those women living in
poverty.
To fight the pandemic the government of Ethiopia implemented different response
measures as a precaution to reduce the spread of the virus. But the response measures taken by
the government further impacted those women differently. It particularly affects those engaged in
the informal sector that are dependent on their daily incomes to win their near-to-ground
livelihood and work to fulfil their family's basic human needs which are pivotal to enjoy essential
socio-economic rights. Thus, the research is designed qualitatively to investigate the women's
lived experience of informal engagement and how the pandemic and the response measures
impacted their economic rights and related basic human rights. To do so, primary data collected
through interviews, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. Moreover, secondary
data obtained from different writings and field observations were also used.
Therefore, the study examine show the pandemic as well as the associated response measures
taken by the government affected the economic rights of the women and in turn challenged their
full enjoyment of human rights including their rights to health, food, education, water,
sanitation, social protection, and non-discrimination .The study also found economic
participation and opportunities as a main factors that are essential for women in the informal
sector to engage equally in any type of work they choose, so that they contribute to the labour
force. This principal causes are also identified as grounds to generate decent work conditions
as well as assist the women to transfer to formalization in the study area. But the pandemic as
well as the response measures impacted the factors which are key for women economic growth.
Such incidence extended to and violates women means to economic equality, which is
empowerment.