The Gendered Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mauritius Context

Page 33

Expected Impacts: The Gendered Impact of COVID-19 in Mauritius | Expected Impact 6 & 7

as compared to male counterparts in the telecommuting job. The inability to carry out a bigger workload may impact on women’s career progression and influence their decision to come out from the unpaid work sector into the paid economy, resulting in more pronounced gender pay gaps.

Expected Impact

Mitigation Strategies

A shift in gender power dynamics at the household level: gender inequalities will be more

Instituting gender sensitive policies, such as childcare schemes, telecommuting, flexi-hours, for women’s equitable participation in the workplace

Sustaining sensitisation campaigns at all levels of society on gender equality

Targeting men and young boys as champions of gender equality

entrenched or notice a shift towards more gender equal dynamics

EXPECTED IMPACT 7:

The Impact on Reporting Gender Based Violence Cases

There is limited up-to-date data on the prevalence of Gender Based Violence in Mauritius39. As of 2014, it is reported that 24% of women had experienced some form of gender-based violence in their lifetime including partner and non-partner violence40. In 2019, 88% of reported cases of GBV (sexual offences, rape, attempt upon chastity, sodomy, sexual harassment and child trafficking) were perpetrated against women41. Mauritius presently has no other qualitative gender-based violence indicators and focuses on figures related to domestic violence.

At present there are two distinct referral pathways for reporting of domestic violence cases, namely through the Police and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare. At the level of the community, reporting is channeled through the Ministry

39 Data on Domestic Violence is more readily available 40 Gender Links, 2012, War at Home, Available Online at https://genderlinks.org.za/programme-web-menu/publications/ warhome-mauritius-country-report-2012-11-16/, Last Accessed 18 April 2020. 41 Meyer J, February 2020, High Level Committee on GBV Presentation, UNDP Mauritius Report

31


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.