61% of women struggling emotionally due to COVID-19

Women are more likely to say they find it harder to stay positive day to day during the coronavirus pandemic than men, according to analysis of surveys conducted since the outbreak, which also found women were more likely to say their workplaces were closed than men.

The analysis by Ipsos MORI and The Fawcett Society found 61% of women said they find it harder to stay positive day-to-day, compared with 47% of men. It also found half of women say they are very concerned about the risk the virus poses to the country, compared with just over a third of men.

Other findings show that women are more likely to look out for the emotional well being of others:

• 44% of women say they have contacted someone lonely or vulnerable, compared with 33% of men;
• 78% have checked in on friends and family to ensure they are ok compared with 63% of men;
• 21% have delivered supplies to someone self-isolating, compared with 16% of men.

Also, while women and men broadly agree on what would make them feel more optimistic, women are more likely to say that visiting a selection of friends and family would help (77% of women and 68% of men).

When asked in March whether the economic conditions of the country will improve or get worse, women were much more likely to think conditions would get worse than men (an increase of 35 points compared with 18 points for men between February and March).

As the Government eases the lockdown, the analysis suggests women are slightly more concerned about health than the economy, although a majority of both genders put public health first, and women are more likely to be uncomfortable with lifting the lockdown, whether that is sending children to school or using public transport.

The analysis shows that women were slightly less likely to think that the Government’s response to the pandemic has been timely; just 22% of women said Government acted at the right time to tackle the pandemic, compared with 29% of men.

Other findings show:

• Women are more likely to have adhered closely to social distancing, with 70% saying they are avoiding leaving the house, compared with 57% of men. Women also held higher standards for what is acceptable to do during lockdown, with 78% saying it is unacceptable for a cleaner to come into their home compared with 67% of men.

The report comes as the TUC publishes a new plan for “working our way out of recession”, including more investment in green jobs, rebuilding public services and emphasising equality. It is also calling for the creation of a national recovery council to tackle the problems linked to the coronavirus pandemic.

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