(In)equality, expertise and the COVID- 19 crisis: an intersectional analysis

Cardo, Valentina and Boelle, Julia (2023) (In)equality, expertise and the COVID- 19 crisis: an intersectional analysis. In, Germain, Sabrina and Yong, Adrienne (eds.) Beyond the Virus: Multidisciplinary and International Perspectives on Inequalities Raised by COVID-19. Policy Press, pp. 79-96. (doi:10.1332/policypress/9781529221237.003.0005).

Abstract

Inequality for women and BAME voices in the public arena is sadly old news and is well documented in scholarly work. It should not come as a surprise then that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, such inequality was not only reinforced but it also became the norm. This chapter is concerned with the presence (or lack thereof) of (BAME) women experts (from health officials to politicians) during the first national lockdown period (23 March to 10 May 2020) in the United Kingdom. It focuses on the daily Government press conferences, and their national press and media coverage, in order to establish the extent to which (BAME) women were allowed to speak as experts during the pandemic. Adopting an intersectional approach, this chapter argues that the lack of diversity in official Government communication during the crisis, is not only indicative of the way experts are viewed in contemporary British society. It may also discourage (BAME) women in presenting themselves as experts and having a voice in matters of the State. Ultimately, this chapter argues that the mis- and underrepresentation of diverse voices in public discourse is detrimental to an equal society and has wider democratic consequences.

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Contributors

Author: Valentina Cardo

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