The PES, PES Women, S&D Group and the S&D FEMM working group issue a joint letter to EU Commission President.

Europe is not seeing enough leadership or action for a gender-sensitive response to the COVID-19 crisis, European socialists and democrats are saying.

In a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen today, the Party of European Socialists, its women’s organisation PES Women, the S&D Group in the European Parliament, and the S&D FEMM working group say the impact of COVID-19 on women must be properly recognised and addressed.

PES Women President Zita Gurmai said:

“Women disproportionately work in professions where exposure to the virus is high, like cashiers, cleaning staff, or in health and social care. Women are more likely to be looking after children or elderly relatives, or doing other unpaid care work which could expose them to the virus. Women in abusive relationships are now trapped at home because of the lockdown. And women are typically underpaid and in precarious jobs, leaving them vulnerable to the economic consequences of this crisis. COVID-19 has exposed and reinforced these existing gender inequalities.”

Read the full article here.