More good news.
The ‘pink recession’ is over. Whew, right? Last year, I recall reading dozens of near-identical articles reporting how women were suffering most of the economic fallout of COVID-19, with ‘female work’ more heavily impacted than ‘male work’.
Many of the articles urged governments to focus their recovery efforst discriminatingly — i.e. improve the prospects of women getting back to work. As the hysteria mounted, frightening unemployment predictions and a spike in mental health presentations such as depression painted a stark picture for women under 50:
“Women hardest hit by Australia’s coronavirus job losses” — SBS News (May 2020)
“Health crisis exacerbates existing gender inequalities” — Workplace Gender Equality Agency (May 2020)
“Women disproportionately negatively impacted by the pandemic” — AMA (March 2021)
“Women workers worst hit in COVID job losses” — Australian Financial Review (May 2020)
“COVID-19 has worsened gender inequality” — World Economic Forum (Sept 2020)
“Economy is probably even worse for women than it looks!” SLATE (Feb 2021)
“Young women suffer doubly!” they cried.
Except, at least here in Australia, none of this is true.
Except for a shitty dip in May 2020, it turns out that women have actually suffered less than men.
But, like the wealthy who inherit millions yet claim to be ‘self made’, smug articles now trumpet women’s amazing resilience, instead of acknowledging that their histrionics in May 2020 actually worked. Government listened, and got women back to work.
No. Instead, women are “more adaptable than men” they chortle triumphantly. Those poor, stupid, unemployed blokes though, they’re just not resilient enough.