Gender equality index 2022 : the COVID-19 pandemic and care

'If the pandemic taught us one thing, it is that time is precious. And caring for someone you love is the most precious time of all,' Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted in her State of the European Union speech in September 2021. It was an indication of COVID-19 bringing formal and informal care to the fore, exposing the frailty of a sector vital to life and well-being. Social isolation, school closures and movement restrictions keeping people within their homes led to unprecedented informal care needs and work-life tensions for people looking after others. Women and lone parents, mostly mothers, have borne the brunt of the upheaval, including the more acute socioeconomic consequences of the COVID-19 crisis. The service sector, with high female employment rates, was among the hardest hit, and the working conditions of front-line women workers were severely impacted. Coupled with the ongoing war in Europe, with its immense impact on the economy and people's lives, the developments in gender equality over the last several years have now taken a turn for the worse, and the threat to future progress is real.