But school closures on a prolonged or cyclical basis (open for a few weeks, then closed again, etc.) are a new development since the COVID-19 pandemic started. When I was growing up in Bulgaria, schools would sometimes close for one to two weeks for a "flu vacation" once per year at the peak of the seasonal flu wave. Zapryanova: Extended school closures have definitely been a new challenge that rarely existed pre-pandemic. With the law in effect and potentially linked to the death of a young pregnant woman this past November, it not surprising that we see such a drastic drop in the public's perception of whether women in the country are treated with respect.Īre there new challenges for women that emerged during the pandemic? While in Slovakia, such attempts were narrowly rejected in parliament after sparking widespread protests and criticism from women's rights organization, a near-total abortion ban was successfully passed in Poland. Zapryanova: In addition to the traditional pandemic-related challenges, Poland and Slovakia have seen attempts by conservative political parties to roll back abortion rights and restrict women's reproductive choices.
Can you tell me a little about what's going on? Poland and Slovakia are leading the world in declines. We've seen some backsliding in perceptions in Eastern and Western Europe. One of these challenges, we know, might be whether people think women are treated with respect. When women are expected to be the primary caregivers and household managers while also holding a remote job because of the necessity of two incomes, this negatively affects mothers' mental and physical health. Remote schooling is tough on parents around the world, but it appears to be particularly tough on working mothers in lower-income countries with more traditional family dynamics. This had a particularly negative effect on low-income families and women employed in the service industry and seasonal occupations.įor women employed in industries that allowed remote work, employment and income losses have been less severe, but they are still experiencing an increase in unpaid household work and childcare challenges.
Lockdowns and business closures brought financial hardship and loss of income for those employed in affected occupations.
Zapryanova: Yes, most of the research from the region indicates the pandemic put increased pressure on women and girls. Is this true for women and girls in your region? Tell me about how women's lives were affected. Gallup's Regional Director for the World Poll in the former Soviet states and Eastern Europeĭuring times of crisis, like a pandemic, challenges that existed before the crisis are only amplified.
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