Essential Equity:
Women, Covid-19, and Rebuilding CT

Covid-19 has revealed the inequities and injustices that perpetuate the systems in Connecticut. This interactive platform and attached report explore the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on women and girls (particularly, women and girls of color), along with topics such as economic security, child care, housing, mental health, and more. We urge policymakers, government officials, philanthropists, non-profit service providers, corporations, and community members to use this information to work towards equity through relief and recovery efforts.

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coronavirus Covid-19

Connecticut has struggled with the pandemic, but females have experienced higher case and death rates compared to males.

54%
of cases were experienced by females, compared to 46% by males

52%
of deaths were experienced by females, compared to 48% by males

People of color have experienced disproportionate impacts compared to white people.

46%
of Hispanic and 42% of Black residents knew someone who tested positive, compared to 30% of white residents

20%
of Black and 15% of Hispanic residents knew someone who died from Covid-19, compared to 12% of white residents

monetization_on_black Economic Security

Covid-19 has exacerbated economic inequities experienced by females prior to the pandemic.

176,000
continued unemployment claims were filed by females during the peak month of May 2020, compared to 142,000 claims filed by males

48%
of the female labor force work in ‘essential worker’ industries – 78% of the healthcare workforce and 67% of educational workforce and 56% of food service

Females of color have struggled with economic and financial insecurity more than white females.

43%
of continued claims and 36% of initial unemployment claims filed by females during the pandemic were by females of color yet comprise a smaller share of the workforce

1 in 5
females of color reported difficulty in meeting their usual expenses during the pandemic

person person_outlined person_outlined person_outlined person_outlined

escalator_warning Child Care

Child care providers have attempted to remain open despite public health guideline changes, while families that cannot find or afford child care are trying to balance child care and work

3 in 4
private child care providers have closed during the pandemic, heavily impacting an industry where 92% of businesses are females-owned

76%
of parents reporting needing to stay home and not work due to childcare were females, compared to 24% who were males

Families of color are more likely to live in a child care desert (an area where there are more than three times as many children as licensed child care slots), leading to the difficult choice of staying home for child care or going to work

1 in 20
families of color can afford high quality child care, compared to 1 in 5 families in the overall population

baby_changing_station help_outline work

house Housing

With families reporting increased housing instability, Connecticut has seen and will continue to see an increase in evictions, foreclosures, and homelessness. Go here for data on evictions at Town & Census tract level.

13%
of females are estimated to be behind on their rent or mortgage

1 in 5
females feel slight or no confidence in their ability to pay rent or mortgage in the coming month

Females of color are feeling the impact of increased housing instability more than white females

20%
of Black and 18% of Hispanic females are estimated to be behind on their rent or mortgage, compared to 10% of white females

1 in 3
females who reported their race or ethnicity as Black or Other feel slight or no confidence in their ability to pay rent or mortgage in the coming month, compared to 1 in 7 white females

psychology Mental Health

On average, a higher percentage of females have reported mental health challenges during the pandemic compared to males

70%
of females reported feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge during the pandemic, compared to 59% of males

52,743
calls to Connecticut 211 for mental health services were made in 2020

Females of color reported higher rates of mental health challenges compared to white females

3 in 4
Hispanic females reported feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge during the pandemic

77%
of females who reported their race or ethnicity as Other reported feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge in Fall 2020, an increase of 20% from 57% in Spring 2020