Abstract

The reason for this work was to find out about the Socio-Economic Effects of a covid-19 pandemic on women and men in Ndobo-Douala. In the course of the study, the majority of men and women were affected as a result of the outbreak of the pandemic they were affected politically, socially economically and psychologically which brought them existing challenges as a result of the outbreak of the pandemic. However, despite the challenges they faced, there were measures put in place by the government and NGOs in order to prevent the spread of this pandemic.

The methodology employed involves the collection of primary data from respondents with the use of a questionnaire to conduct the research. Secondary data included published works and the internet; the survey method was also used.

The data analyses used were mainly qualitatively using frequency distribution tables and percentages and to a lesser extend qualitative using the descriptive finding. Finally, from the results of the findings, the discussion, conclusion, and recommendations were also drawn from the findings.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background to the Study

According to World Health Organisation (WHO), the Covid-19 pandemic also known as the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-COV-2). This particular virus was first reported from Wuhan, China on December 31, 2019, with confirmed cases 84,838,747. The virus spread so fast over many countries forcing the World Health Organisation (WHO) on January 30th, 2020 to declare it a global health emergency. With rising daily confirmed cases across the globe and an increasing number of deaths especially in Europe and the United States. It was then declared a pandemic by March 11, 2020.

Declaring it a pandemic the WHO’s Director-General said that the institution was “deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severely, and by the alarming levels of inaction”, and concluded that “we have therefore made the assessment that Covid-19 can be characterized as a pandemic”.

According to the WHO (2020b), there were over 118,000 cases in 114 countries with 4291 deaths. By 1 May 2020, there were over three million confirmed cases and over 200,000 deaths in 185 countries. Due to the increase in the number of cases and deaths, most nations if not all were forced to shut down schools, business, and places of worship as well as their borders (both land and air). With a little reprieve, individual nations started reopening their economies.

With a resurgence in the cases, some nations declared states of emergency in their health care system with lockdown being practiced. According to the WHO (2021), the global situation of the pandemic stands at 100,200,107 confirmed cases with the Americas recording the highest (44,471,901) and Western Pacific the least (1,386,901) number of confirmed cases.

Though the African continent confirmed cases today stands at 2,506,862, we are still at risk because of our poor health care system. Nkengasong and Mankoula (2020) noted that most African countries have weak health systems, including inadequate surveillance and laboratory capacity and limited medical personnel.

This is reiterated by the WHO’s Director-General who during the declaration of Covid-19 as a pandemic noted that the “greatest concern is the potential for this virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems which are ill-prepared to deal with it’ (WHO, 2020b). Though the number of confirmed cases is low as compared to other countries of the World, the WHO’s Regional Office for Africa observed that “There is a critical shortage of treatment facilities for critical cases of Covid-19 in Africa” (The Economist 2020).

This is due to the inadequacy of beds in hospitals particularly in intensive care units, fewer or no functional ventilators in public health services as well as a shortage of doctors. Sanders, Sengupta, and Scott (2015) noted that economic and political forces have contributed to the severe weakness of the health system of West African countries which were seriously affected by the Ebola virus. For example, the New York Times (May 2020) noted that South Sudan a country of 11 million inhabitants, had four ventilators, while the Central African Republic had three ventilators for its five million inhabitants.

The situation in Cameroon is not very different, with her current number of confirmed cases standing at 29617 and death of 462 (WHO, 2021), the number shows a rapid rise and is a cause for concern. The Human Rights Watch (2020) observed that the number of cases in the Country is underestimated as testing is very low.

Ojong (2020) also noted that the number of confirmed cases might likely be higher if more tests are conducted. He went further to state that an additional challenge is posed by the armed conflicts in the Far North, South West, and North West Region where health facilities especially in the North West and South West Regions are partially or not functional and access to health care is limited as noted by UNICEF (2020).

As the number of confirmed cases and deaths kept rising, nations across the world tried to implement different measures to curtail the transmission of the disease. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (2020) noted that even with the varied measures put in place, the socio-economic impacts were already deeply felt. With millions of people not being able to meet their basic needs, the UNDP demanded every country to act immediately to prepare, respond and recover.

The international labour organization (ILO) predicts that due to Covid-19 global unemployment could rise by almost 25 million, with these estimates disproportionately affecting women and migrants (International Labour Organization, 2020). To cushion the effects, the United Nations Secretary-General launched a USS 2 billion global humanitarian response plan for the most vulnerable.

Though Covid-19 constitutes a serious threat to the right to life and health of everyone around the World, the impacts are exacerbated for women and girls simply by virtue of their sex. women face a higher risk of gender-based violence in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak. A recent study by UN Women found that reports of violence against women, and particularly domestic violence have increased in several countries create tensions and strains accentuated by the cramped and confined living conditions of lockdown.

The impact of covid-19 on women are disproportionately affected by lockdowns and this is resulting in a reduced access to health services thereby causing a threat to their sexual and reproductive health.

Women are particularly overrepresented among the low-wage workforce engaged in small and informal businesses and predominantly living in the most precarious areas often known as slums. However, the reason being that they are mostly self-employed, self-provisioning, and self-producing on a subsistence basis, infection control measures that require them to stay at home observe social distancing and avoid mass gathering hits hard on their livelihoods and income-generating strategies.

Statistics of covid-19 cases from World Health Organisation Africa update 30th May 2021. Cameroon with confirmed cases of 78,929 with of recovered case of 35,261 and death of 1,275. We also have the United States confirmed cases of 33.3m with none recovered and total deaths of 594k and India 28 million confirmed cases with a recovered of 25.7m and total deaths of 329k.

Moreso, Brazil with confirmed cases of 16.5m, recovered of 14.5m and total death of 462k, Nigeria confirmed cases of 166,285 total deaths of 2.071, Sierra Leone confirmed cases of 4,140, total deaths 79, Liberia 2,179 confirmed cases, total deaths of 86 and Gabon 24,365 confirmed cases with total deaths of 150.

The Pathfinder International President and CEO, Lois Quam, commended this policy brief which suggests measures that can be taken to place women and girls as well as men at the covid-19 response and recovery process by stating “we agree with the recommendations made in the UN policy brief placing women and men at the forefront of our response decisions is critical to achieving gender equality, creating more just societies, and contributing to healthy and resilient communities around the world”.

People are living through uncertain and unprecedented times. According to the country’s National Institute of Statistics (NIS) (2015), about 37.5% of Cameroon’s population live below the national poverty line of 931 FCFA (USS 1.5) per day.

According to the African Development Bank (2012) unemployment among those aged 15 to 35 is approximately 13% but underemployment is more crucial, 71.9% at the national level as observed by the NIS (2015). With a high level of poverty and lack of basic amenities, fighting covid-19 can be very difficult. Another serious issue is the influx of people from restive neighbouring South West and Northwest Regions of the country.

With the closure of school during a particular period of time, restrictions of movement, and social distancing imposed by the government to curtail the spread of the virus; people were faced with serious and social difficulties.

It is a known fact that women and girls are impacted differently from their male counterparts in situations of healthy out breaks. Being more vulnerable being, the socio-economic impact on women and girls in a very fragile economy is likely to be more serious.

Is the case of Ndobo women and men different from the other females and males in other areas or nations? It is therefore very pertinent to look into the social and economic effects faced by women and men as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.

1.2. Statement of the Problem

It is a known fact that across every sphere of life, from health to the economy, security to social protection there exist a differential between men and women in how they are impacted. This is not different with the impact of covid-19 or other related outbreaks.

According to the United Nations (2020), the impact of covid-19 is exacerbated for women and girls simply by virtue of their sex in both social and economic dimensions. Women faced a high risk of gender-based violence in the wake of the covid-19 outbreak. The report of violence against women and particularly domestic violence has increased in several countries, create tensions and strains accentuated by the cramped and confined living conditions of lockdown.

Furthermore, the covid-19 pandemic has hit women entrepreneurs particularly hard. Almost overnight, women entrepreneurs had to change their business practices as a result of social distancing measures, take care of their children full time as schools closed and deal with the financial repercussions of a world economy on lockdown.

In addition, with the impacts of the pandemic and mitigating the socio-economic consequences, the differentiated impacts of the emergency responses on men and women clearly evince that gender is an important driver of risk and infection.

Consistent with the traditional constructs of gender roles, women are responsible for domestic chores like fetching water, fetching firewood, cooking, washing, subsistence fishing and farming going to markets, caring for the sick, the young, and the elderly at home.

Most of these domestic chores are undertaken outdoors which keeps the women outside, hindering their ability to adhere to the recommended safety protocols to stay at home. Thus, it is against this background that this study seeks to examine the socio-economic effects of the covid-19 pandemic on women and men.

1.3. Objectives of the Study

1.3.1 General Objective

The main or general objective of the study is to examine the socio-economic effects of covid-19 on women and men in Ndobo, a Sub-Urban area in Douala.

1.3.2 Specific Objectives

1. To describe the nature of the covid-19 pandemic among men and women in Ndobo.
2. To describe the effect of covid-19 on women and men’s social activities in and out of the household.
3. To identify the challenges, complications women and men faced during a covid-19 pandemic.
4. To examine the Role of the government and NGOs in handling covid-19.