Abstract
The article addresses the gendered implications of Covid-19 in the Global South by paying attention to the intersectional pre-existing inequalities that have given rise to specific risks and vulnerabilities. It explores various aspects of the pandemic-induced ‘crisis of social reproduction’ that affects women as the main caregivers as well as addressing the drastic increase of various forms of gender-based violence. Both, in addition to growing poverty and severely limited access to resources and health services, are particularly devastating in marginalized and vulnerable communities in the Global South. The article looks at specific regions and countries to illustrate wider challenges faced by LGBTQ populations, ethnic minorities, domestic workers, migrants and sex workers. Against the background of these gendered intersectional challenges, the article then moves to discuss feminist initiatives and mobilizations to deal with the crisis in specific local contexts as well as nationally, regionally and transnationally. It concludes by highlighting a number of visions, tensions and dilemmas faced by feminists in the Global South that will need to be taken into consideration in terms of transnational feminist solidarities.
Highlights
No one can predict the long-term implications and consequences of a pandemic that has so far led to the death of hundreds of thousands of people and debilitated those who got infected, some temporarily, some suffering long-term effects
We already know that Covid-19 is accentuating and heightening pre-existing inequalities, forms of exclusion, and poverty while increasing risks and vulnerabilities linked to war, displacement as well as various forms of preexisting marginalization
While much of the focus so far has been on the original epicenters of the outbreak, first China, Europe and later the US and Brazil, we know that many people in the Global South will bear the long-term effects in even more horrific ways
Summary
No one can predict the long-term implications and consequences of a pandemic that has so far led to the death of hundreds of thousands of people and debilitated those who got infected, some temporarily, some suffering long-term effects. The Lebanese feminist researcher and activist Lina Abu Habib, having participated in an online discussion with feminists from the Middle East and North Africa, reports: According to all the narratives exchanged by feminist activists, cases of domestic violence have shot up exponentially during the lockdown with the added complications related to the difficulties women are facing when trying to reach out for help, either from friends and family or from helplines and law enforcement.
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