With the spread of the Corona virus around the world, the following question arises: "Are women more at risk than men?"

"What worries her is that talking about the current (Corona) crisis is not taking women's troubles seriously," says British politician Amber Rudd in a BBC report, wondering whether "women are involved in the decision-making process over Convenient way.

Other activists and social observers join this debate, saying: “What worries them is that the responsibility of caring for sick relatives and elderly families rests largely with women. Also, women are often responsible for entertaining children who are forced to stay at home and caring for their education, even if they work full time from home. ”

On the other hand, paramedics working in hospitals and health centers said: "They are often forced to work using equipment that is not suitable for them, if they are available to them, because their design suits the bodies of men."

Where are the women?

Amber Road, expressed her shock at the small number of women in the highest positions participating in government meetings, especially in Britain, and says: "I want to see more women among the participants."

She wrote on her Twitter page: "Equality would lead to better decisions ... Do not remove women during the crisis", and her tweet sparked intense controversy on social media. And she adds: "Diversity also means making better decisions." She explained: "From my experience, I have noticed that only women raise issues related to women's lives."

Rudd called on governments to include women in key discussions and in the decision-making process "in order to bring up all issues related to domestic life, domestic violence and home education."

Women are in danger

The writer and feminist activist Caroline Criado Perez agrees with this idea. "We are in a situation where women are more likely to be financially and economically more vulnerable," she says in an interview with the BBC.

"Women are often found on the front lines when outbreaks of disease, because they are often nurses, cleaners and unpaid care workers."

For example, she cites the time of the Ebola outbreak in Africa in 2014, when "75% of deaths were in the women's category, and the reason for this was not a biological sensitivity of them to this virus, but rather they were caring for patients."

"This is all a big concern for me," she says, "and I don't see any of these issues on the response plan."

"There are economic repercussions for this crisis, as it is likely that women are working in service sectors that have been severely affected by the epidemic so far," says Creado Perez.

"Women are more likely to adhere to employment contracts that do not provide them with adequate guarantees, or to be basically workers without any contract, and they often do not get paid sick leave ... Where are the policies that explain this?"

She says: "Evidence throughout history shows that such matters are rarely forgotten if women are partners in decision-making processes." Research conducted by the British Parliament found that there are differences between what both men and women focus on: "Men are more likely to use the language of war and talk about weapons and the army, while women are mostly dominated by issues of care and education."

Gender and mortality

To date, data worldwide shows that men are more likely to die from the Corona virus, but Kriado Perez says: "In the long run, women will be negatively affected more by this epidemic."

"During the Ebola outbreak, mortality rates for women were not greater, but the situation changed due to the significantly increased exposure of women to disease, and because they were working in jobs that put them at risk," she explains. Women often work in areas that make them more susceptible to disease, such as cleaning workers and hospital washers, as they do not receive the same level of protection, says the feminist.

"The nurses, who are more in contact with patients, do not always have personal protective equipment available to fit their faces," she added.

She points to a conversation that took place between her and a female doctor who told her that many of the facial masks available where she works are suitable for men.

"The effect of the white male"

"Women are exposed to more risks than men," said Dr. Cambridge University psychologist and expert on how thoughts and feelings interact. She adds: "Research shows that men and women differ in terms of decision-making, especially in times of uncertainty, or when it comes to taking a risk, and when it comes to taking a risk on a personal level, women tend to feel the greater magnitude of these risks."

As the British expert says: “There is great evidence for the so-called white male influence. And unlike women and people belonging to ethnic minorities, white men reduce the risk, so they will not see the risks and challenges that others may face. ”

Amber Rood: "Equality would lead to better decisions ... do not remove women during the crisis."

Caroline Perez: "Women are often found on the front lines when outbreaks of disease."