The gendered impact of COVID-19 state response in the West Bank and Gaza Strip
(2021) STVK01 20211Department of Political Science
- Abstract
- As in many parts of the world, state response to COVID-19 in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) has included far-reaching measures such as restrictions of movement and the closure of schools, businesses and borders. The response has in itself caused substantive secondary impact to people’s health, well-being and livelihoods, which has in turn exacerbated preexisting vulnerabilities and gender inequality.
Using a theoretical model which draws on four nearby fields of research – feminist theory, gender critique of disaster theory, gender critique of public health theory, and human rights legal doctrine – this study shows how unintended gendered impact is produced, if state response to novel epidemics is allowed to interact with... (More) - As in many parts of the world, state response to COVID-19 in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) has included far-reaching measures such as restrictions of movement and the closure of schools, businesses and borders. The response has in itself caused substantive secondary impact to people’s health, well-being and livelihoods, which has in turn exacerbated preexisting vulnerabilities and gender inequality.
Using a theoretical model which draws on four nearby fields of research – feminist theory, gender critique of disaster theory, gender critique of public health theory, and human rights legal doctrine – this study shows how unintended gendered impact is produced, if state response to novel epidemics is allowed to interact with preexisting gender structures in an uncontrolled way. This highlights the concept of gender blindness in theory and response to novel epidemics, and its adverse effects for women.
Applying the theoretical model and a method of thematic analysis, reports from NGOs, INGOs and UN agencies are analyzed for signs of gendered impact of state response to COVID-19 in the oPt. The identified effects are grouped into five thematic areas of gendered impact that can be observed. This thesis finds that gender-based violence (GBV) seems to have increased (1); referral pathways and protection services have been disrupted (2); access to justice has been hampered (3); economic hardship has increased (4); and the burden of care and unpaid labor has increased (5). Each of these impacts stem from seemingly gender-neutral state response efforts interacting with preexisting gender structures in society. Findings also echo experiences from other recent novel epidemics.
The study shows however, how efforts from women’s rights organizations have raised the level of gender awareness in response work and mitigated a portion of gendered impact. This indicates that more gender-conscious theory and state response to novel epidemics can counteract or mitigate adverse gendered impact. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9041869
- author
- Kæraa, Sofia LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- STVK01 20211
- year
- 2021
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- COVID-19, Palestine, gender, emergency response, gendered impact, novel epidemics, disaster, public health, gender-based violence, access to justice, burden of care
- language
- English
- id
- 9041869
- date added to LUP
- 2021-05-12 12:21:07
- date last changed
- 2021-05-12 12:21:07
@misc{9041869,
abstract = {{As in many parts of the world, state response to COVID-19 in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) has included far-reaching measures such as restrictions of movement and the closure of schools, businesses and borders. The response has in itself caused substantive secondary impact to people’s health, well-being and livelihoods, which has in turn exacerbated preexisting vulnerabilities and gender inequality.
Using a theoretical model which draws on four nearby fields of research – feminist theory, gender critique of disaster theory, gender critique of public health theory, and human rights legal doctrine – this study shows how unintended gendered impact is produced, if state response to novel epidemics is allowed to interact with preexisting gender structures in an uncontrolled way. This highlights the concept of gender blindness in theory and response to novel epidemics, and its adverse effects for women.
Applying the theoretical model and a method of thematic analysis, reports from NGOs, INGOs and UN agencies are analyzed for signs of gendered impact of state response to COVID-19 in the oPt. The identified effects are grouped into five thematic areas of gendered impact that can be observed. This thesis finds that gender-based violence (GBV) seems to have increased (1); referral pathways and protection services have been disrupted (2); access to justice has been hampered (3); economic hardship has increased (4); and the burden of care and unpaid labor has increased (5). Each of these impacts stem from seemingly gender-neutral state response efforts interacting with preexisting gender structures in society. Findings also echo experiences from other recent novel epidemics.
The study shows however, how efforts from women’s rights organizations have raised the level of gender awareness in response work and mitigated a portion of gendered impact. This indicates that more gender-conscious theory and state response to novel epidemics can counteract or mitigate adverse gendered impact.}},
author = {{Kæraa, Sofia}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{The gendered impact of COVID-19 state response in the West Bank and Gaza Strip}},
year = {{2021}},
}