Effects of Covid-19 ‘Stay at Home’ Difficult Situation on Women: Panic and Feminist Philosophical Perspectives

Abstract

The untold effects of the coronavirus pandemic cut across all facets of life and sectors. Many scholars and authorities tend to overlook the domestic consequences of the pandemic arising from the ‘stay-at-home’ directive. From panic and feminist philosophical perspectives, this study critically examines the effects of this directive. Drawing on both primary and secondary data, the study reveals that the domestic effects include ethical anomalies arising from domestic violence, marital conflict, family crises, sexual laxity, increased pregnancies and population growth, escalating parenting challenges, hunger and starvation, laziness, poor neighbourliness, and various social vices. The parameter of total lockdowns, curfews, and widespread violations of human rights across many nations introduced new domestic challenges and exacerbated pre-existing ones. The study argues that the ‘stay-at-home’ directive produced both immediate and long-term domestic effects, especially on women, and these effects constitute some of the non-fatal consequences of Covid-19. The liberal feminist theory, which advocates gender equity between men and women through transformative social and legal reforms, provides the theoretical framework for the study.