Gender Issues and Challenges in Post Covid-19 Pandemic: A Home Economist Perspective

Gender issues and challenges in COVID -19 pandemic are presently all over the world including Nigeria. Strategies promoted to reduce gender issues and challenges in the COVID-19 pandemic have improved the situation but not resolved it. The sudden lockdown that resulted from the COVID-19 outbreak posed a great threat to the livelihoods of the entire population, leaving women more vulnerable to its resulting effects. The effects felt on the labor market were more immediate, both on demand and on labour supply. This cost many people to lose their jobs, some became unemployed, and others had to quickly adapt to new changes (telework, reduced wages, changes in work). Women employees were the hardest hit by the rules and regulations on social distancing; this is because female-dominated occupations such as education, hotel and restaurant services, care, and beauty services were the sectors hardest hit by this lockdown. The pandemic is exacerbating pre-existing gender issues and challenges exposing the vulnerabilities in economic, political, and social systems, which led to an increase in the unemployment rate. Home Economics being multidimensional and multidisciplinary area can identify and utilize innovative solutions to support people through the phase of transition to the normal time. It was concluded that skills impartation in Home Economics education, equip students with business ideas to run their own enterprises to close the gap. Recommendations were made for training and extension services to combat challenges evolve resulting from/after the pandemic era.