KITCHENER -- The economic downturn from the COVID-19 pandemic has been especially hard on women, according to a new report from local advocacy groups.
The report also finds social and economic health of women in Waterloo Region is declining.
Ali Dittrich has stepped up as the main caregiver during the pandemic, like many other women.
She's reduced her work hours to stay home with her young children. She said she's happy to do so, but it's not without sacrifices.
"I was finally ready to do something for myself, the business was important to me," Dittrich said.
She started her own private practice as a children's counsellor right before the pandemic.
"That's again taken a back seat so that I can homeschool my son and just be at home because he's not at school," Dittrich said.
A new report from YW Kitchener-Waterloo showed women were already at a social and economic disadvantage compared to men, using data from 2018.
"Three-point-one times more likely to report that they couldn't actively participate in the labour market because of family or personal issues," Director of Advocacy Jennifer Gordon said.
The report also shows there is a gender wage gap of $13,000 in full-time jobs. Key poverty areas for women in the region include areas around downtown Kitchener and near Fairview Park Mall.
Gordon said the situation for women has worsened due to the pandemic.
"The reality is now the pandemic and COVID has exacerbated everything, every single statistic," she said.
Christine Neill, an economics professor at Wilfrid Laurier University, attributes that to a greater number of women employed in the service sector.
"Where there's personal interaction and those are the kind of jobs that we lost," Neill said.
Neill said recovery once the pandemic ends will also be challenging.
"You now have a gap in your experience and so, when you apply for jobs in the future, it might be harder to find those jobs," Neill said.
Neill added that these issues affect entire households and communities, not just women.
