A London exhibition is calling for the public to recognise the work of women working on the frontline four years on from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Elizabeth Okoho’s Women on the Frontline pays tribute to the key workers who kept the capital moving when the rest of the world stopped.
Photographer and curator of the exhibition Elizabeth Okoh, speaks to City News about the importance of acknowledging women’s contributions to the pandemic effort. Credit: City News
“I think it’s really important to acknowledge the pivotal role women who worked in essential industries played during the pandemic.
“While as a society we want to move past and look ahead to better things, I think it’s also important to look back and learn from what happened.”
Impact on women:
Data from the London Recovery Board shows that women were disproportionately affected by employment issues during the Covid-19 crisis, with over 23 per cent of women being out of work.
In addition to this, 47 per cent of women experienced disproportionate economic, social and psychological impacts during the pandemic.
Kasia was working as an ICU nurse at the time and – much like 70 per cent of women working on the NHS frontlines – found that the increased stress of her work was greatly impacting her mental health.
Kasia Nwansi was a former ITU Nurse during the Covid-19. Credit: City News
“Being an ICU Nurse, all of the critically unwell patients came to us. I went from nursing one critically ill patient with one ventilator to six – one nurse to six patients.
“It was very busy, intense, and at times unsafe, but it was all we could do.
“It was after the end of the pandemic that my mental health began to deteriorate and I had to get help”.
Exhibition Aims:
The exhibition aims to show that as well as female NHS staff, women across several disciplines worked to ensure life continued as normally as possible during lockdowns.
Hannah worked as a stock broker throughout the pandemic. Credit: City News
Hannah was a stock broker during the pandemic, working to keep the economy going and the public’s money safe.
“There was a lot of stress for 18 months because of Covid. I was one of the two key workers in my team.
“It feels really nice to be one of those that’s actually recognised – particularly in financial services, which does tend to be a man’s world. It just felt amazing.”
The exhibition organisers say the women on display represent just a fraction of the female workers who stood strong in the face of adversity during the pandemic.
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HeadlineLondon exhibition celebrates unsung heroines of Covid-19
Short HeadlineExhibition celebrates London's unsung pandemic heroines
StandfirstAldgate invites Londoners to honour female Covid frontline workers in first-of-its-kind show
A London exhibition is calling for the public to recognise the work of women working on the frontline four years on from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Elizabeth Okoho’s Women on the Frontline pays tribute to the key workers who kept the capital moving when the rest of the world stopped.
Photographer and curator of the exhibition Elizabeth Okoh, speaks to City News about the importance of acknowledging women’s contributions to the pandemic effort. Credit: City News
“I think it’s really important to acknowledge the pivotal role women who worked in essential industries played during the pandemic.
“While as a society we want to move past and look ahead to better things, I think it’s also important to look back and learn from what happened.”
Impact on women:
Data from the London Recovery Board shows that women were disproportionately affected by employment issues during the Covid-19 crisis, with over 23 per cent of women being out of work.
In addition to this, 47 per cent of women experienced disproportionate economic, social and psychological impacts during the pandemic.
Kasia was working as an ICU nurse at the time and – much like 70 per cent of women working on the NHS frontlines – found that the increased stress of her work was greatly impacting her mental health.
Kasia Nwansi was a former ITU Nurse during the Covid-19. Credit: City News
“Being an ICU Nurse, all of the critically unwell patients came to us. I went from nursing one critically ill patient with one ventilator to six – one nurse to six patients.
“It was very busy, intense, and at times unsafe, but it was all we could do.
“It was after the end of the pandemic that my mental health began to deteriorate and I had to get help”.
Exhibition Aims:
The exhibition aims to show that as well as female NHS staff, women across several disciplines worked to ensure life continued as normally as possible during lockdowns.
Hannah worked as a stock broker throughout the pandemic. Credit: City News
Hannah was a stock broker during the pandemic, working to keep the economy going and the public’s money safe.
“There was a lot of stress for 18 months because of Covid. I was one of the two key workers in my team.
“It feels really nice to be one of those that’s actually recognised – particularly in financial services, which does tend to be a man’s world. It just felt amazing.”
The exhibition organisers say the women on display represent just a fraction of the female workers who stood strong in the face of adversity during the pandemic.
People who have lost loved ones to Covid seek government protection for the memorial wall, which serves as a place of remembrance for the victims of the pandemic.
