Five Things to Know About Gender and the Ebola Outbreak.

The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda is a reminder that health emergencies are never only about a virus. 

They can affect women, men, girls and boys differently, shape who is most exposed to risk, influence access to services and determine whose voices are heard in response efforts. 

Understanding these gender dimensions is essential to building more effective and inclusive responses. 

Here are five things to know about gender and the Ebola outbreak. 

1. Women and Girls Represent the Majority of Confirmed Ebola Cases 

According to World Health organization (WHO), women and girls account for more than 53% of laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases in the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. 

Among adolescents, girls account for more than 61% of confirmed cases. The 20–29 age group remains the most affected. These figures highlight the importance of understanding how outbreaks affect different groups and ensuring that response efforts are informed by gender-responsive data. 

2. Caregiving Often Puts Women at Greater Risk of Infection 

Women are not more likely to contract Ebola because of biology. They are more likely to be exposed because of the roles they often play at home, in their communities and in health services. 

Women are frequently the ones caring for sick relatives, supporting family members, assisting older people and accompanying loved ones during illness. Women also participate in traditional burial practices, which can involve direct contact with infected bodies when adequate protective measures are not available.  

They also make up a large share of nurses, community health workers and caregivers. 

These responsibilities can place women in close contact with the virus and increase their risk of infection during an outbreak. 

3. An Outbreak Can Create Additional Risks For Women and Girls 

The effects of an outbreak extend far beyond the disease itself. 

During health emergencies, women and girls often face increased care responsibilities while access to essential services can become more limited. Previous outbreaks have also shown that periods of quarantine and crisis can increase the risk of gender-based violence. 

Without targeted support, an outbreak can make existing inequalities worse and create additional challenges for women and girls. 

Disease outbreaks do not only affect health systems. They can also undermine women's economic security. Measures introduced to contain the spread of Ebola, including movement restrictions and border closures, often disrupt sectors where many women earn their livelihoods, particularly small-scale trade, agriculture and informal businesses.  

When women lose access to markets, income and productive resources, households face additional economic pressure, and women may struggle to recover their livelihoods long after the health crisis has passed. This is why gender-responsive response and recovery efforts must also protect women's economic resilience and ensure they remain part of recovery planning and decision-making. 

4. Women Are at the Heart of Community Response Efforts 

Women are not only affected by outbreaks. They ARE part of the solution. 

As health workers, caregivers, community leaders and advocates, women play a critical role in raising awareness, sharing information and supporting prevention efforts. They are often among the first to identify needs, support and help communities respond to crises. 

Their knowledge, experience and leadership are essential to strengthening community resilience and supporting recovery. 

The experience of Sierra Leone's Yellow Ribbon Campaign demonstrated why women must be at the heart of outbreak responses. As community leaders, caregivers, market actors, educators and media professionals, women were not only among those affected by Ebola—they were also key partners in promoting prevention measures and sustaining community engagement. By working with women in schools, markets, communities and local media, the campaign recognized that lasting progress depended not only on medical interventions, but also on the people most able to influence behaviours and mobilize communities. 

5. Effective Responses Must Include Women From the Start 

Women bring essential knowledge, experience and leadership to outbreak prevention, preparedness and recovery efforts. 

Ensuring that women can participate meaningfully in decision-making helps make response efforts more inclusive and effective. It also helps ensure that the specific and strategic needs  of women and girls are reflected in policies, programmes and services. 

Across West and Central Africa, UN Women works with governments, women's rights organizations and women-led organizations, UN partners and communities to strengthen gender-responsive preparedness, response and recovery efforts. This includes supporting the use of sex-, age- and disability-disaggregated data (SADDD), strengthening women-led organizations and promoting women's participation in decision-making at every stage of a crisis. 

The gender dimensions of Ebola cannot be treated as an afterthought. They must be understood, measured and integrated into every stage of the response. 

This is why gender analysis and sex-disaggregated data are essential. They help identify who is most affected, what barriers exist and where interventions can have the greatest impact. Every prevention, response and recovery effort must be designed with these realities in mind, ensuring that women and girls can safely access information, services, resources and decision-making processes. A response that does not account for gender risks leaving those most affected behind.