As World Economic Forum predicted, the responses to the pandemic will be heavily gender biased. Globally, women already have fewer rights than men and the pandemic is making the situation even worse, reports World Economic Forum.
Moreover, a shadow pandemic has grown in the form of violence and domestic abuse, reports BBC. With 90 countries under lockdown and four billion people at homes, the Coronavirus has brought another deadly danger of violence and abuse for females locked at home.
Around the world, women have fewer rights than men – and COVID-19 is making it worse https://t.co/GUFL88AE4j #Gender #Equality pic.twitter.com/hYcLwogcZo
— World Economic Forum (@wef) June 18, 2020
While those fighting at the Frontlines are facing a different battle. Juggling being a Doctor and being a full-time mother and wife at home has brought a new challenge for females worldwide.
BBC reported that mothers are more likely to quit and have lost their jobs as opposed to fathers. Less females are publishing pre-prints and taking up new research projects as they must balance children, added household responsibilities and are trying hard to adjust to the new normal.
Non-emergency surgeries are being denied and many females in European countries have been denied abortions. In other countries, where abortions are restricted, women have been unable to travel to get treatment elsewhere.
Females in Pakistan too are trying to adjust to the ‘new normal’ post COVID with many trying to balance work life along with added household responsibilities, with no house help and children at home all the time. Moreover, most of these females are also fighting at the front-line in hospitals all over Pakistan, as warriors, witnessing the pandemic in deadly form.
WOW 360 gives you a personal account of a young female front-line warrior Dr. Naila Asghar, who battled Coronavirus herself and has emerged victorious.
Dr. Naila Asghar is a young and talented Postgraduate Trainee at the Liaquat National Hospital. Here is an exclusive interview with the doctor, giving us a peak into the life of a female frontline fighter in these unprecedented times. The doctor talks about ‘The New Normal’ post COVID, How the Pandemic has affected her life at home, whether it has affected females more than men and she copes with these new challenges.
Watch the full interview below:
Define Your New Normal After COVID-19
When it comes to changes, us doctors have been the most affected because we are at the front-line witnessing it daily. There has been a vast difference in the pre and post- COVID times. Social Distancing is one of the biggest.
Being a doctor, our patient load has increased drastically when it comes to COVID-19 patients. But because people are scared to visit hospitals now, there has been a drastic drop in OPD patients. Most patients are outpatients but majority need admission for extra care.
How has the Pandemic affected Your Family Life?
Now that we come home, one of the biggest fears is us being a carrier and exposing our family members. We fear bringing viruses home and hence we take extra precautionary measures. We keep washing our hands constantly, shower immediately and take extra care of our clothes and hospital related items. So this has become a new normal after COVID-19.
Has the Pandemic Impacted Women more than Men?
Yes females have been affected more. Ofcourse males who are exposed to the outside world are being directly affected but females who are at home have witnessed a drastic increase in workload so they are being affected indirectly.
Since females are more likely to cook and clean at homes in our society, they now have to be extra careful of cleanliness on top of taking care of their families.
How are You Coping with these New Challenges?
I was diagnosed with COVID myself two weeks ago and presently I am under isolation. But I wasn’t worried that I caught the virus, I was more worried and scared about my parents and siblings. The first thought I had was ‘k kahin meray family members ko na lag gaya ho’. But Alhamdulillah it was caught early on. I am fine now but I do feel some weakness at times. I need your prayers.
‘Prevention is better than cure’, Naila says. She urges everyone to be extra careful, to keep washing hands and wear a mask when exposed to the outside environment because COVID will not enter your home until someone brings it from the outside.
What challenges have you faced post COVID-19? Share in the comments below and stay tuned for more news and updates.
