Survey highlights mental health fears for women in coronavirus crisis
Almost four in ten women in the region say their mental health has got worse since the Covid-19 outbreak started, while almost a third are struggling financially compared to 16 per cent before the pandemic.
The figures have been released following a survey for West Midlands Women's Voice (WMWV), a group which supports the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) in placing women at the centre of economic growth and better social welfare.
The survey also shows that almost half – 47 per cent – of women questioned said they would be likely to use local high street 'pop up shops' for mental health support if they existed.
Deborah Cadman OBE, chief executive of West Midlands Combined Authority, said: “We welcome this study which provides a much-needed focus on women in the West Midlands.
“Putting the spotlight on how women have been affected by the pandemic will help shape our recovery plans for the region, which will be more than economic recovery – we also need to reconnect as a community and fundamentally re-think how we live and work.”
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The survey, which was conducted by the gender equality campaigning charity The Fawcett Society, examined health, social and economic issues affecting women post-pandemic.
When asked almost half of women in the West Midlands – 47 per cent – said they have considered retraining into health and social care during Covid-19. BAME women, younger women, and parents more likely to have given retraining some thought across all fields. Forty-four per cent of women in the West Midlands said they would be likely to use local pop-up skills and retraining centres if they were available.
The research also found that three in ten women in the West Midlands say that they are ‘struggling or worse’ financially, compared with 16 per cent before the crisis.
A fifth of women in the West Midlands – 20 per cent – said their employability had worsened.
Eight out of ten women in the West Midlands – 81 per cent – say their work has changed during the pandemic. A quarter of women, 25 per cent, have seen their location of work change, with nine out of ten working from home. Twenty eight percent have seen their hours change, with the majority – 63 per cent – were losing hours.
Sharonjit Clare, co-founder of WMWV, said: “We have driven this research to be sure that the voices of women in the regions could be captured at a pivotal time as we emerge from lockdown and to enable women to steer the often male-dominated economic policy debate.
“Our three asks of combined authorities will be a real measure of their covenant to deliver inclusive Covid recovery.”
