Leaving No Women Behind

Evaluating the Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Livelihood Outcomes in Kenya and Ethiopia

Bibliographic Data

ID15469036
AuthorsMarshall Makate (0000-0002-2005-2970, Curtin University, corresponding author), Clifton Makate (0000-0002-6061-6638, Norwegian University of Life Sciences)
Year2023
Volume20
Issue6
Pages5048-5048
Publication date2023-03-13
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
PublisherMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph20065048
PMID36981957
OpenAlexW4324057798
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited24

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has revolutionised our lives, bringing with it the twin crises of illness and the need for an optimal mix of policies to alleviate its impact on the population. There needs to be more evidence on the effects of the pandemic on livelihood outcomes, including an understanding of whether female-headed families in low-income countries fare worse than their male-headed counterparts during pandemics. Using high-frequency phone surveys conducted in Ethiopia and Kenya, we examine the aggregate impact of the pandemic on income and consumption losses, as well as food insecurity. The empirical analysis estimates linear probability models that relate livelihood outcomes with household headship and other socioeconomic characteristics as controls. Overall, the pandemic increased the likelihood of food insecurity while decreasing income and consumption, particularly among female-headed households. In Kenya, living in a female-headed home increased the possibility of an adult going without food by about 10%, an adult skipping a meal by about 9.9%, and a child missing a meal by about 17% in the seven days preceding the telephone survey. In Ethiopia, living in a female-headed household increased the likelihood of an adult going hungry, skipping a meal, and running out of food by about 24.35%, 18.9%, and 26.7%, respectively. Salient pre-existing socioeconomic inequalities further exacerbated the effects of the pandemic on livelihoods. The findings have important implications for public policy and preparations by governments and other organisations interested in developing suitable gender-sensitive measures to lessen the impact of future pandemics in low- and middle-income countries

Agriculture · Consumption (sociology · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Economic growth · Economics · Environmental health · Food security · Geography · Livelihood · Pandemic · Population · Poverty · Socioeconomic status · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Agricultural risk and resilience · COVID-19 epidemiological studies · COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts · Medicine

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