COVID-19 and women: examining the gender impacts of COVID-19 in Lagos State using the capacities and vulnerabilities approach framework

Abstract

A capacity and vulnerability approach (CVA) to disease outbreaks and natural disasters would, invariably, give the idea that epidemics and pandemics do not affect people equally. Certain groups are more vulnerable to disease outbreaks than others as determined by unequal access to resources, opportunities, capabilities, among other factors. A review of available literature about disease outbreaks reveals the disproportionate vulnerabilities women face during these disease outbreaks. Originally developed to guide humanitarian preparedness and intervention, CVA has also been employed as a gender analysis framework to help identify “specific strengths and weaknesses of a particular community that may help or hinder individuals in that community to address social, political, environmental, resource, and developmental concerns” (Birks et al. 2016 p. 931). The purpose of this article, therefore, is to examine the gender impacts of the novel corona virus in Lagos State using the capacities and vulnerabilities approach (CVA) framework, and to present a tool for the future gender analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic impacts.