The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the position of women in the labor market

Gender inequality has existed in a dynamic structure in every private and public sphere throughout the historical process. Gender inequality, which places women in the position of the second sex, is a global problem that requires urgent intervention today. It has integrated women into unpaid domestic labour and rendered women's labour invisible. It has easily found a place for itself within the capitalist production system and made labour markets patriarchal. Although women's employment has increased over time, there has been no simultaneous progress towards gender equality. Most of the world's women work in precarious jobs, for low wages and without rights. At the same time, they face many obstacles before and during their employment and are excluded from paid labour markets due to certain characteristics. The Covid-19 pandemic started as a health crisis and has turned into a social and economic crisis over time. Intensely affected sectors, new ways of working and isolation measures have caused women and girls to be more affected by job and income losses, increased domestic and care work, work-family conflicts, reduced access to education and violence. Some women's entire lives have been affected and their lives have become more unequal. The pandemic has reproduced gender inequality in the labour market, reinforced the subordinate position of women and moved the world away from gender equality. The study begins by providing a theoretical framework and then analyses this issue based on global data. KEYWORDS: Gender Inequality, Labour Market, Covid-19 Pandemic, Patriarchy