The lockdowns have increased working from home, which has led to conflicts between work and home life. Women still do the majority of unpaid care work, including childcare or taking care of older family members.
The Covid-19 crisis has likely aggravated gender inequalities in this field and reconciling work and family life is significantly affecting women’s mental health.
Women are overrepresented among minimum wage earners in most EU countries, particularly in the healthcare sector, which has been under a lot of pressure.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day on 8 May, the European Parliament is focussing on gender equality, mental health and unpaid care work. A special meeting, hosted by Robert Biedroń, chair of the women’s rights committee, will take place via videoconference on Thursday 3 March from 9.00 to 12.00 CET and will be live streamed. Watch it here.
Find out more about the European Parliament’s event on 3 March.
Find out more on the European Parliament’s fight for gender equality in the EU
