Evaluation of problems faced by women construction workers during COVID-19

Abstract

COVID-19 lockdowns halted the unorganized construction industry, causing widespread job losses and reverse migration. Women construction workers were particularly affected, facing not only prolonged unemployment but also heightened vulnerabilities due to pre-existing gender inequalities. This study evaluates the magnitude of challenges faced by women construction workers during the pandemic and examines how factors such as reverse migration, marital status, and average daily wage shaped these hardships. Using a survey of 130 women construction workers (convenience sample) and follow-up semi-structured interviews, the study employed statistical analysis (SPSS) to identify significant relationships (p < 0.01) between these factors and multiple dimensions of hardship. Findings reveal severe economic hardship (income loss), exacerbated gender biases and wage disparities, and heightened social vulnerabilities (e.g., lack of social security and increased domestic burdens) among women workers. These results underscore an urgent need for gender-responsive labour policies and strengthened social security interventions to protect women in the informal sector, highlighting broader implications for gender equity in post-pandemic recovery.