For 50 years, women have been overrepresented in Ebola deaths – UN Women fears the current outbreak will follow the same pattern
Statement by UN Women delivered by Chief of Humanitarian Action Sofia Calltorp at today’s press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
History has repeatedly shown us that women are more likely than men to die during an Ebola outbreak. This is not because the disease is more deadly for women once they are infected. It is because women are more likely to be infected in the first place.
This was evident during the 2018–2019 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where women and girls accounted for around two thirds of reported cases. We saw it in Liberia in 2014 where, in some communities, women accounted for up to three quarters of Ebola deaths; and 50 years ago in the DRC, where women accounted for 56 per cent of those who died.
And, we will certainly see the same pattern emerge in the current outbreak in the DRC and Uganda, which comes as the DRC is already dealing with a severe humanitarian crisis and immense pressure on health services.
Why? Because Ebola transmission follows social realities. The virus spreads along the lines of caregiving, domestic labour, front-line health work, and burial practices.
Because when people are sick, women look after them.
Women are the mothers, aunts, and sisters caring for children. They are the daughters caring for their elders. They are nurses and cleaners in hospital wards, and birth attendants helping women deliver their babies. Women are also the ones who care for loved ones in death, preparing their bodies for burial.
These responsibilities exist in the division of labour inside homes and communities, and they put women in close physical contact during the infectious stages of the disease.
Pregnant women face additional risks because they have more frequent contact with health services. Historical reports suggest that, when women contract Ebola during pregnancy, there is increased mortality and morbidity, and a near 100-per-cent rate of adverse pregnancy outcomes.
We also know from previous health emergencies that, when communities go into quarantine, women and girls face greater risks of gender-based violence.
At a time when humanitarian funding cuts are weakening front-line health and protection systems, UN Women calls for sustained and flexible funding for women-led organizations so they can continue their lifesaving work in protecting communities, countering misinformation, and supporting safe care practices.
We also call for increased financial support to primary health care programmes that meet the needs of women and girls. This includes ensuring women have access to personal protective equipment and prevention supplies, and training in community-based Ebola awareness and prevention activities. These are critical investments in early detection, safe care, and community resilience.
Women must have opportunities to meaningfully participate in decision-making and implementation of the response. Sex-, age-, and disability-disaggregated data are essential to better tailoring these interventions.
UN Women is on the ground in Ebola-affected countries, working alongside governments, the UN system, and women’s organizations to support their work and to ensure that women are involved in decision-making in prevention and recovery efforts.
