Why the Coronavirus Outbreak Could Hit Women Hardest

“For women with no social support system, the economic hardship of this pandemic could be even more immeasurable. “Our clients are already at a heightened state of alert, trauma and anxiety... Many of the women are entry-level service workers. If children are out of school, they will have to stay in the shelter and watch them. For those women who recently graduated to living with their kids in an apartment with rent support from the shelter, losing their jobs would mean they don’t have income for food and utilities…Further, domestic violence is known to increase in times of economic hardship—a possibility that most shelters are not resourced to address.