Five ways in which the pandemic hit women and girls the hardest

Two deadly waves of the pandemic destroyed countless lives and livelihoods across India. Even before the pandemic, the country’s progress toward gender parity was uneven. COVID-19 took a heavier economic toll on women and girls. Ground reports and public data indicate that the urgency of dealing with COVID-19 has diverted the focus away from serious issues women face. This publication uses public data to explore these issues, such as a rise in attempts at child marriage, trafficking, a fall in institutional deliveries, loss of livelihoods, and a rise in unpaid care work and domestic violence.