The isolation imposed to combat the Corona epidemic has changed the habits of millions of people, but differently between women and men, as they do not live in the same way.
"The isolation has a different meaning among the men and women who have been isolated for centuries," said Florent Touma, a French-Colombian feminist activist, in an interview with AFP.
The professor of social psychology and the former director of the Faculty of Psychology at the National University of Bogota, adds that this stone, which lasted for several months, was tragic for many women with more family violence.
In Colombia, the Domestic Violence Hotline has received 175% more communications than normal days since the isolation began on March 25, nearly three times more than 1,595 cases recorded in the same period in 2019, according to official figures.
"It is very difficult for men as well, because it is new for them," said Toma, a pioneer in feminist activism in Colombia where she has lived since 1967. In Colombia, Toma founded the Women and Society Group in 1985 to advocate for women's issues.
But the scientist, who is a mother of two boys, sees isolation as a positive effect for men, especially since they realized the size of the unpaid housework that women perform.
Women in the home stone
Regarding the impact of isolation on women, Thomas emphasized that isolation has changed the lives of women and men a lot, but isolation has a different meaning for men than for women who have been isolated for centuries.
"It was very necessary to isolate us because of the pandemic, and it is a separate feeling for us to send back to the household circle, and women like me at the age of seventy-seven are unfamiliar with technology, you cannot imagine my suffering when I give lessons to medical students through these means."
Men in the home stone
For men, it is assumed that it will be very difficult, as it is new to them. For men have always been outside, they speak and listen to them while they are running the street unlike women, according to Thomas.
Toma said: Today, as we start to hear our voice with the "Me too" movement (Me To), for example, and when others start listening to us, he asks us again to keep quiet and stay inside!
"Perhaps not all women will feel the same way as me, but I belong to a generation that has struggled to be considered in the street and to have a voice. It has struggled to be able to go out and stay up without the woman necessarily being accompanied by a man."
Negative effects
Toma indicated that there were other negative effects of isolation. On the women’s level, it had tragic effects due to the lack of vital health matters such as abortion.
Positive effects
On the other hand, Thomas cautioned about the existence of positive effects, especially when we see that men have probably realized the meaning of "care economy", that is, allocate hours of unpaid work to care for others, their well-being and housekeeping.
"The women spent their time cleaning the world for centuries," the activist concluded. "I think the men have realized this now a little, until my son Nicolas called me on the third day of isolation and asked me: My mom, how do I clean the toilets? I see positive things."