Sustainability and the real value of care in times of a global pandemic: SDG5 and Covid-19

Flora Ijjas

doi:10.1007/s43621-021-00054-7

Flora Ijjas

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-021-00054-7

Copy DOI

Abstract

The pandemic Covid-19 has been affecting the global population, causing profound social and economic problems. The aim of this paper is to analyse the health crises from an ecological economic and a gender equality perspective in order to see how the pandemic is affecting Sustainable Development Goal 5 (gender equality) and particularly Target 5.2 which is about eliminating domestic violence and 5.4 which is about the valuation of unpaid care and domestic work. Secondary data, facts and thoughts from scientific papers and other documents are being reviewed to understand our socio-economic systems’ effects on the reproduction of nature and on social reproduction. Results show, that capitalist systems exploit regenerative and reproductive workers of the demonetized economy, such as nature, unpaid caregivers, peasants, and indigenous gatherers. These exploitative systems also have contributed to the rise of the new pandemic Covid-19 by destroying natural habitats. The virus might have some short-term positive effects on the environment, but the backbone of society’s response is unpaid care work, therefore women are being exploited even more. Conclusions are, that patriarchal characteristics, such as normalized systematic domination and oppression of women (and other regenerative and reproductive workers) are on the long run a burden for the SDGs.

Highlights

There is extensive research on environmental issues and gender inequality issues
I have found that the case of Covid-19 highlights the problem of exploitation of reproductive work, such as the exploitation of the reproductive work of nature and the exploitation of care work done by women
That the rise of the new pandemic Covid-19 could be an effect of destroying natural habitats, and even if it had short-term positive effects on the climate and on biodiversity; it has a significant negative one on gender equality

Summary

Introduction

There is extensive research on environmental issues and gender inequality issues. The paper summarizes shortly the current state of knowledge of these issues but it’s main originality relies upon the review of papers covering the links between environmental problems and gender inequalities and upon the elaboration of those links by examining them throughout the case of the new pandemic Covid-19.There are only a few articles and surveys about Covid-19’s effects on SDG 5 and no literature about the deep lying reasons behind those effects, to the best of my knowledge. There is extensive research on environmental issues and gender inequality issues. The paper summarizes shortly the current state of knowledge of these issues but it’s main originality relies upon the review of papers covering the links between environmental problems and gender inequalities and upon the elaboration of those links by examining them throughout the case of the new pandemic Covid-19. There are only a few articles and surveys about Covid-19’s effects on SDG 5 and no literature about the deep lying reasons behind those effects, to the best of my knowledge. In the first part main environmental concerns and existing gender inequalities from all over the world will be summarized shortly. Literature review has been used to introduce the global, major violations of nature and women

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion