In most of the Arab region today, probably more than other parts of the world, women are assuming added responsibility within the family and at the level of society at large.
With school closures, women are shouldering much of the childcare duties and making sure the family holds together. In the Arab region, where women have traditionally assumed a disproportionate share of family responsibility, this is even more the case.
For a category of women, the medical professionals, these duties are combined with a leading role on the coronavirus frontline. The figures of the World Health Organisation show that women make up 35% of the medical doctors and 79% of the nurses in the Eastern Mediterranean region. These percentages are maybe below Europe’s averages but are almost equal to those of South East Asia and not far from those in the Americas.
Arab doctors and nurses of both genders are to be applauded for being real-life heroes in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
Today more than ever, Arab women health workers deserve to be recognised for their acute sense of dedication, courage and responsibility as medical professionals and as pillars of their families and communities.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
