The coronavirus pandemic reversed women's workplace gains in many of the world's wealthiest countries as the burden of childcare rose and female-dominated sectors shed jobs, according to research released this week.

Women were more likely than men to lose their jobs in 17 of the 24 rich countries where unemployment rose last year, according to the latest annual PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Women in Work Index, released on Tuesday.

Jobs in female-dominated sectors like marketing and communications were more likely to be lost than roles in finance, which are more likely to be held by men, said the report, calling the slowdown a "shecession."