  Behavioral gender differences are known to exist for a wide range of human
activities including the way people communicate, move, provision themselves, or
organize leisure activities. Using mobile phone data from 1.2 million devices
in Austria (15% of the population) across the first phase of the COVID-19
crisis, we quantify gender-specific patterns of communication intensity,
mobility, and circadian rhythms. We show the resilience of behavioral patterns
with respect to the shock imposed by a strict nation-wide lock-down that
Austria experienced in the beginning of the crisis with severe implications on
public and private life. We find drastic differences in gender-specific
responses during the different phases of the pandemic. After the lock-down
gender differences in mobility and communication patterns increased massively,
while sleeping patterns and circadian rhythms tend to synchronize. In
particular, women had fewer but longer phone calls than men during the
lock-down. Mobility declined massively for both genders, however, women tend to
restrict their movement stronger than men. Women showed a stronger tendency to
avoid shopping centers and more men frequented recreational areas. After the
lock-down, males returned back to normal quicker than women; young age-cohorts
return much quicker. Differences are driven by the young and adolescent
population. An age stratification highlights the role of retirement on
behavioral differences. We find that the length of a day of men and women is
reduced by one hour. We discuss the findings in the light of gender-specific
coping strategies in response to stress and crisis.
