‘Covid-19 affected female agri-workers’

With the agriculture sector suffering along with other sectors during the novel coronavirus pandemic, women workers in the agri-sector were the most impacted.

This was stated by speakers on Tuesday during a webinar on “Addressing the gendered impact of novel coronavirus (Covid-19): Experiences from Pakistan”. The webinar had been organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

FAO Representative in Pakistan Mina’ Dowlatchahi and highlighted how the FAO had raised awareness amongst rural women regarding the impact of the pandemic on food and agriculture, value and supply chain, food prices and food security.

“Around 68% of rural women and girls in the labour force are employed in the agriculture sector in Pakistan, while 19% are in paid employment in the agri-sector whereas the remaining are unpaid workers,” she said.

“Women are immensely affected, as they are more exposed to health risks, loss of income, and take on a larger share of unpaid care work and face a heightened threat of gender-based violence during social confinement measures,” she said.

UN Women Country Representative Sharmeela Rassool underscored the challenges and way forward to confront the hurdles.

She stressed, combined efforts to narrow the gendered impacts of the pandemic.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 21^st, 2020.