Author: Mayte Bryce-Alberti (Lima, Peru)
Female medical students more often believe that they have decreased opportunities for professional advancement based on their gender compared to their male counterparts. [1] Barriers that discourage women from applying to these or being competitive professionals are built on gender stereotypes such as lack of mentorship programs, lack of female role models, higher burden of imposed caregiving responsibilities, and increased feelings of impostor syndrome. [2,3,4]
As action towards gender equity advances and gains visibility, increasing numbers of glass ceilings are being called out, confronted and shattered. Within the medical community, this issue has gained momentum as it has become the subject of research projects, conference discussions and advocacy initiatives. However, how has this progress been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic?
In terms of academic and labor opportunities, a cross-sectional survey in Peru [5] during the government-imposed lockdown reported an increase in unequal distribution of household and caregiving tasks, as women bore the greatest burden. Women were responsible for 80% of domestic work, which translated to 24 hours per week dedicated to these household activities, compared to the 6 hours per week that men contributed. This gap implies that women had 18 hours less per weekweak to work and/or study. [5]
Furthermore, a study [6] reported that during this time, scientists with feminine-coded names submitted substantially fewer manuscripts than scientists with masculine-coded names. Likewise, when the Canadian Institute of Health Research launched a rapid response COVID-19 funding competition, fewer female scientists applied for funding and success rates were lower among women who applied. The study also showed that during the second COVID-19 research funding competition, due to greater application pressure from the organizers and funding, the proportion of applications submitted by principal investigators who self-identified as female increased from 29 to -39%. While this was deemed a positive outcome, the percentage still lagged behind the ideal 50%. [6]
Finally, gender violence remains active and deadly. Latin America has the highest rates of gender-based violence in the world, with six countries (Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Argentina, El Salvador, and Bolivia) accounting for 81% of reported cases. [7] COVID-19 Additionally, lockdown measures have exacerbated gender violence by increasing the number of women who are forced into confinement with their aggressors, by increasing violence-triggering factors such as economic instability and substance abuse, as well as by reducing follow-up to reported cases and decreasing access to social justice. [8]
To this date, there is a lack of substantial literature exploring and highlighting COVID-19 social consequences from a gender perspective. Lockdown measures, economic instability, mental health strains, academic limitations, among others, represent new glass ceilings for women to overcome. We must acknowledge its disproportionate effect on genders to reimagine government policies and allocate resources more efficiently.
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