Gender Dimensions of COVID-19 Economic Impact in Chad

This paper uses computable general equilibrium model-based simulations to assess the gender dimensions of the impact of COVID-19 on economic outcomes, that is, labor force participation, employment, wages, and earnings. It leverages the 2020 High-Frequency Phone Survey in Chad to assess the impact of COVID-19 on female-headed households, which comprise 23 percent of the country’s households. The findings show that the COVID-19 pandemic will have a disproportionately higher negative impact on women in urban areas. The simulation results suggest that more women than men working in paid jobs might lose their jobs. Although the paper focuses on the impact of COVID-19 in 2020, the findings can be generalized as the hysteresis effects might be deeper and more prolonged if the pandemic is more prolonged. The situation is potentially dire, especially in service sectors, where most women are employed in urban areas. Moreover, the High-Frequency Phone Survey shows that COVID-19 has notably impacted the households’ income from enterprises and suggests that this negative impact is more prevalent for female-headed households. Although male- and female-headed households are using common coping strategies during the pandemic, female-headed households in rural and urban areas have been more reliant on aid from family and friends and less reliant on savings, credit, or the sale of assets.