The world cannot be gender-blind again for the next #pandemic

23 Apr 2024

According to the Women in Global Health Report, women make up a majority of healthcare workers. But during the pandemic, only 14% of female #healthcare workers around the globe had access to PPEs (personal protective equipment) that properly fit them. The manufacturing specifications for medical PPEs are designed for US and European males and do not consider the physical needs of the estimated 70% female health workforce. The gender blindness of the medical PPE design was just one of the indicators of #genderinequities in the pandemic response. Medical PPEs were essential in protecting healthcare workers from COVID-19 infection. However, the global shortage of PPEs and its single-use design forced many women healthcare workers to stay in their PPEs for hours. Healthcare workers reported compromising menstrual hygiene and being unable to change their sanitary pads. Additionally, ill-fitting PPE (which includes gloves, goggles, facemasks, and protective suits) placed women healthcare workers at a higher risk for exposure to the virus.

The #Fem4PeoplesVaccine campaign calls for women’s experiences with medical PPEs to be taken into account as a crucial step in ensuring a gender-equitable #pandemicresponse. A fair and just pandemic response must consider the #safety and dignity of healthcare workers.

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