Page 29 - MRC Newsletter Ed-1 (2021)
P. 29
Mogotsi cautioned however, that provided most of the assistance to stressed that access to clean
“while these measures are seen the elderly within their midst, who water is also to be identified as a
as greatly beneficial to the fight needed special care given their prerequisite in the fight against
against the pandemic's spread, susceptibility to COVID-19.” More COVID-19 and that access to clean
we must be aware of the dynamics specifically, in some rural areas of drinking water in rural areas, informal
that unfold in the care economy, Namibia, Ms Mogotsi indicates that settlements and among the urban
and the burden it places on women since many women have to walk poor must remain a necessity. By
and mothers since in the large several kilometres to collect water way of concluding, Ms Mogotsi
majority of cases, it is the women in order for the household members suggested and emphasised that,
who will take care of the children”. to comply to the COVID 19 safety “Namwater, municipalities and
Ms Mogotsi further enlightened regulations of washing hands village councils in collaboration
that for some women, remote frequently, “multiple trips have to with various government agencies
work meant a double burden as be made to water points and all must urgently act on the directives
they had to juggle their office work these added some more workload
from home; attend to children, and to women’s household chores,” of the Ministry of Information &
assist children with online schooling she concluded. Communication Technologies,
or home schooling where that was Hon. Peya Mushelenga for the
possible. She further stated that for One central impact of COVID19 reconnection of disconnected
the majority of women, given the on women has been centred on water supplies as a measure to
jobs they occupy such as being its economic and social impacts fight COVID-19.”
domestic workers and supermarket on women. There has been fear
employees, working from home that many women who work in What lessons can we learn from
was not a viable option as their underpaid jobs are in danger of this analysis? Ms Mogotsi asserts
work was classified as essential losing their jobs and that restrictions that one great lesson as equally
services. that were imposed on street asserted by other scholars such as
vendors as a measure to prevent Claire Wenham, Julia Smith and
Some examples from countries the spread of Coronavirus have Rosemary Morgan is that “women
such as China, Italy and South robbed a lot of women of their much should be fully incorporated into
Korea have shown that the closure needed income as emphasised global health security surveillance,
of schools as a measure to control by Ms Mogotsi, when she averred detection, and prevention
COVID-19 transmission has severely that; “You see, women-headed mechanisms, given their front-line
affected the work and economic households usually have a lower interaction with communities”.
opportunities of women since it income. Yet, the introduction of the Although the WHO itself has
means that they have to take on epidemic has pushed up the price recognised the importance of
extra child care duties. The pressing of protective equipment such as including women in the fight
question that many Namibians anti-bacterial gels, gloves or simply against epidemics, Ms Mogotsi is
need an answer to, therefore is, soaps. This meant that poor women
“How did women in Namibia take had a difficult choice to manage worried that the majority of policy
care of their children during the between buying food to survive forums discussing responses to the
pandemic period?” during quarantine and buying Coronavirus still involve very few
sanitisers, soaps and gloves” women. She therefore strongly
Ms Mogotsi asserts that “As primary advises that if Namibia is to find a
caregivers, women were not The researcher suggests that if the more effective approach to fight
only at risk of losing their jobs as a negative impacts of the COVID-19 against the virus, “We must make
result of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on women are to be the right decisions and involve more
on the economy, but they also reduced then, “the distribution of women in decision-making about
had their domestic workload essential goods to poor households COVID-19 for a more effective fight
increased. Apart from taking should be considered for effective against the virus, for the well-being
care of the children, they also disease control.” Similarly, she of women, and all Namibians!”.
MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH CENTRE RESEARCH MATTERS VOL 8. 2021 029