Impact of COVID-19 on Women’s Lives in India: Interventions by Civil Society Organisations

Abstract

Women contribute to the economy through their undervalued and unpaid work. This involves hours of drudgery and hardship, especially for poor women, whose work involves not only household chores, but also as unpaid family labour in agricultural and other domestic work. Women have become the safety net for ensuring the wellbeing of the family during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ‘work from home’ policy increased the burden on poor women. The announcement of the sudden lockdown severely impacted the lives of women. The article examines the impact of the lockdown on women and their work, role of unions, and some of the civil society interventions.