Gendered Impacts of Health Crises
Summary
Health emergencies such as pandemics and natural disasters disproportionately affect individuals according to gender, reflecting both biological differences and socially constructed roles. Women and girls often bear a greater burden of unpaid care work, experience heightened risks of gender-based violence and face barriers to accessing essential health services. Men may encounter distinct vulnerabilities linked to occupational exposures and mental health stigma. Intersectional factors—including socioeconomic status, ethnicity and disability—further shape these outcomes, producing layered inequities. Addressing the gendered dimensions of health crises is crucial for designing equitable preparedness and response strategies that strengthen resilience, promote social justice and ensure sustainable recovery.
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Gendered Impacts of Health Crises publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in gendered impacts of health crises across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Intersectionality: An analytical framework recognising how multiple social identities (such as gender, race and class) intersect to produce unique modes of discrimination and privilege.
Unpaid care work: Domestic and caregiving activities—including childcare, eldercare and household management—that are typically performed without monetary compensation.
Gender-based violence: Acts of physical, sexual or psychological harm directed at individuals based on their gender, often exacerbated during periods of societal disruption.
References
- Quantifying the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender equality on health, social, and economic indicators: a comprehensive review of data from March, 2020, to September, 2021. The Lancet (2022).
- Using an intersectionality approach to transform health services for overlooked healthcare users and workers after covid-19. The BMJ (2023).
- The Intersections of COVID-19 Global Health Governance and Population Health Priorities: Equity-Related Lessons Learned From Canada and Selected G20 Countries. Public Health Reviews (2024).
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