Women’s Economic Empowerment and Mental Health in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

COVID-19 is a serious worldwide health emergency that is affecting many nations. The financial standing and mental health of women are negatively impacted by such widespread epidemics. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate, among married women in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic, the level of women’s economic empowerment and mental health and related determinants. The author used secondary research from numerous published research articles, review articles, and published international and national reports like the World Health Organization (WHO), UNDP, and United Nations (UN) to examine women’s economic empowerment and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 condition made it more common for women to experience loneliness, melancholy, anxiety, and sleep disruption. Women face the greatest risk because they make up 70% of the healthcare workforce and work in caregiving facilities. According to COVID-19, the primary causes of poor mental health in Bangladesh were being unemployed, being obese, lack of concealing, and having no family. Bangladesh’s patriarchal family system and physical weakness of women leads to increased mental disorders, workplace dangers, abuse, exploitation, harassment, and physical harm during crises and quarantine. This will promote women’s economic empowerment and improve mental health conditions. For this reason, more research about these vulnerable populations is required.