What Covid revealed about gender inequality in India

A recent study has revealed significant insights into the impact of the Covid pandemic on gender inequality in India, particularly highlighting the struggles faced by marginalized social groups, including women. Conducted by a team of ten researchers from the UK, the US, and Europe, the study examined the mortality effects of the pandemic in India, focusing on various factors such as sex, social group, and age. Their findings, published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances, indicate that life expectancy at birth in India dropped by 2. 6 years in 2020 compared to 2019, with mortality rates increasing by 17%. This alarming trend resulted in an estimated 1. 19 million excess deaths in 2020, a stark measure of how many more people died than expected based on previous years. The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that around 4. 7 million Covid-related deaths occurred in India, a figure nearly ten times higher than the official government records. The researchers noted that the decline in life expectancy in India was more pronounced among younger age groups compared to wealthier nations. While mortality rates rose across all age groups, the increase was particularly significant among younger individuals, leading to a more substantial decrease in life expectancy. Notably, the study found that women experienced a decline in life expectancy that was one year greater than that of men. This finding contrasts with trends observed in many other countries and may be attributed to existing gender inequalities in India. Furthermore, marginalized social groups, including Muslims, Dalits, and tribal communities, experienced even larger declines in life expectancy compared to their upper-caste counterparts, exacerbating pre-existing disparities. The researchers emphasized that prior to the pandemic, these marginalized groups already faced significant disadvantages in terms of life expectancy. The pandemic further intensified these inequalities, with declines in life expectancy comparable to or even greater than those experienced by Native Americans, Black individuals, and Hispanics in the United States during the same period. Sangita Vyas, a researcher from CUNY Hunter College, stated, 'These findings uncover large and unequal mortality impacts during the pandemic in the world’s most populous country. ' The WHO's report suggests that more than 4. 7 million people in India are believed to have died due to Covid, a figure that the Indian government has disputed, claiming that the methodology used to arrive at this number was flawed. It is important to note that the latest study examined deaths from all causes, not solely those attributed to Covid. As Ms. Vyas pointed out, 'For that reason, we can't conclude that women in India were more likely to die of Covid than men. What we can conclude is that the increase in mortality from all causes was greater for women than men. ' The researchers believe that these patterns are partly rooted in gender inequality, as previous studies have shown that women often receive less healthcare compared to men, despite similar infection rates during the pandemic. Additionally, the severe disruptions to healthcare services and economic activities caused by lockdowns likely contributed to these trends. To arrive at their conclusions, the researchers analyzed data from over 765,000 individuals, a sample size that accurately reflects the diversity and distribution of a quarter of India's population. This comprehensive dataset allowed them to identify mortality patterns that may have been overlooked in previous studies. The researchers compared mortality rates from 2019 and 2020 using data from the same households interviewed in 2021. They believe that further research is necessary to explore the reasons behind the higher excess deaths among women in India, the disproportionate impact on younger age groups compared to other countries, and the significant declines in life expectancy experienced by Muslims relative to other social groups. Ms. Vyas noted, 'These patterns likely resulted from disparities in healthcare access and underlying health, differing impacts of lockdowns on public health and livelihoods, and increased discrimination against marginalized groups.