Covid-19: Women On The Frontline

As some south africans retreated to the comfort of their homes to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, essential workers remained on the frontline and continued to serve in the face of a global pandemic. Here are the stories of six women, told in their own voices

- Yamkela Mdaka

27 MARCH 2020 marked the first time in the history of South Africa’s democracy that the country went into a nationwide lockdown. This was implemented to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic in the country.

Among several other restrictions, the key objective was to keep citizens at home and out of physical contact with one another. But this was not a universal call. Some workers weren’t offered the same luxury of working from home because their jobs were “essential” to the basic needs of human survival – food, health, transportation, hygiene and safety.

If you look up the word “frontline” in the dictionary, you’ll find the most fitting description of what essential workers are to society today: “Part of an army that is closest to the enemy”.

LEADING WOMEN

According to a New York Times report, nearly 52 percent of all essential workers in the United States are women and the European Institute for Gender Equality noted that the majority of nurses and healthcare workers on that continent are women. Both places, the EU and the US, have felt the scathing effects of this virus more than any other part of the world.

While similar research and data don’t yet seem to be available in South Africa, it’s only right that in Women’s Month – when we honour and celebrate the legacy of strength, resilience and power left by the women who came before us – we highlight the stories of the women who have played the most important role in making sure that our country continues to stand in the face of this global threat to life.