Gendered Economic Vulnerabilities in Disaster Environments: The Case of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that entrenched and gendered economic disadvantages can become more pronounced in a disaster environment, especially when the disaster is a long-term situation, as with the pandemic. There is a large body of literature that has highlighted the existence of gender bias against women, in relation to their financial positions pre-disaster, which become more exacerbated during a disaster. Regional elements, including cultural factors, can become more pronounced, in increasing not only physiological and psychological vulnerabilities of women but also financial vulnerabilities during the disaster. A review of current literature (mostly media and academic literature, 2020–2021) has been undertaken to present a discussion of enhanced financial vulnerabilities of women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recommendations for threat mitigation are also provided.