ABSTRACT

Studies have shown that women are disadvantaged when facing infectious disease outbreaks. This study uses descriptive data analysis, causality, and VAR modeling to verify this hypothesis in the case of COVID-19 in Belgium in relation to people’s mobility. The results confirm this women’s disadvantage hypothesis, in particular among the working-age population in Belgium. This disadvantage is explained by women’s greater mobility during the pandemic. Despite the restrictions on nonessential travel imposed by Belgian authorities, women use public transportation more often than men to travel for work and family reasons and are thus more likely to be exposed to the virus. Therefore, it is necessary that the health, economic, and social response provided by the Belgian authorities correct this inequality.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Belgium has a larger share of women with confirmed COVID-19 cases than most countries.

• Women are a large proportion of the country’s essential and frontline workers.

• Women’s use of public transportation during lockdown to fulfill responsibilities increased their exposure to the virus.

• The measures to combat COVID-19 in Belgium must correct the inequalities caused by the pandemic to women’s detriment.

• Belgian women should join the health, economic, and social response against the pandemic to prevent future health crises.

摘要

研究表明，妇女在面对传染病暴发时处于不利地位。这项研究使用描述性数据分析，因果关系和VAR模型来验证这一假设，例如比利时发生的COVID-19与人员流动有关的假设。结果证实了该妇女的不利假设，特别是在比利时的工作年龄人口中。造成这种劣势的原因是妇女在大流行期间活动能力增强。尽管比利时当局对非必要旅行规定了限制，但出于工作和家庭原因，妇女比男人更多地使用公共交通工具旅行，因此更有可能暴露于该病毒。因此，比利时当局提供的健康，经济和社会反应必须纠正这一不平等现象。

强调

• 比利时的COVID-19确诊病例中女性所占的比例高于大多数国家。

• 妇女是该国基本和前线工人的很大一部分。

• 妇女在封锁期间为了履行职责而使用公共交通工具增加了其对病毒的暴露。

• 比利时与COVID-19斗争的措施必须纠正大流行对妇女造成的不平等现象。

• 比利时妇女应与健康，经济和社会对策共同应对这一大流行，以预防未来的健康危机。