How coronavirus has affected equality and human rights
This new report warns that hard-won equality and human rights are at risk of going backwards in the wake of the pandemic. 'How coronavirus has affected equality and human rights' brings together the emerging evidence on the impact of coronavirus across key areas of life and highlights the hardship caused to people who already faced disadvantage.
The report identifies concerning backward trends for both young people and our social care system, and shows just how entrenched racial inequality is in Britain. It makes targeted recommendations for Government action to mitigate these emerging impacts.
Key concerns include:
- The negative effect on people from different ethnic minorities: many have faced a perfect storm of being both more likely to die from the virus and more likely to experience financial hardship as a result of the pandemic.
- Young people, having faced significant disruptions to their education, being at high risk of redundancy and now facing a future with reduced career options, are in danger of becoming a “lost generation”.
- The impact of the pandemic on our social care system: not only has coronavirus disproportionately affected older people, some ethnic minority groups and disabled people living in care homes, but morale among care sector staff is low as workers face an increased risk from the virus, lack of recognition and staff shortages.