Visakhapatnam: Covid is exposing women to greater health risks

Visakhapatnam: Covid-19 is exposing women to greater health risks, threatening livelihoods, gender-based violence and forcing them and children into extreme poverty, particularly those living in the marginalised communities, observed Dr. Stephanie M Le Melle, Columbia University Medical Center Public Psychiatry Education Director and Clinical Psychiatry Associate Professor here on Saturday.

Delivering a keynote address at the global workshop on 'Stress coping: strategies to de-stress" organised by GITAM Deemed to be University's women empowerment cell, she mentioned 10 per cent of working women missed work weekly to meet childcare needs.

Referring to the recent studies, she said 54 per cent of women lost their jobs during the pandemic globally.

Addressing the participants, GITAM president M Sribharath said Covid-19 pandemic caused tremendous psychological pressure on students and the academic community as they face a unique set of challenges and lack awareness on how to deal with the same. Further, he said the institution was considering all precautions to handle the stress through various platforms.

The institution's Vice-Chancellor K Sivaramakrishna said health was not only influenced by the physical body but the spiritual, mental and social relations should be accorded equal priority. Columbia University Psychiatric Integrative Services Director Dr. Sasidhar Gunturu and Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Center for Excellence in Teacher Education Associate Professor Gomathi Jatin shared insights about the subject.

The institution's School of Gandhian Studies director Dr Nalini Bikkina said certain levels of stress are needed to face challenges in life and for professional growth.