Limited
gains in gender equality and women’s rights made over the decades are
in danger of being rolled back due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN
Secretary-General said on Thursday.
The
dire warning from António Guterres is laid out in a policy brief which
details how the new disease is deepening pre-existing inequalities which
are in turn amplifying its impacts on the lives of women and girls.
“I urge governments to put women and girls at the centre of their efforts to recover from COVID-19.
That starts with women as leaders, with equal representation and
decision-making power”, he said in a video message to accompany the
report’s launch.
COVID-19 consequences
The pandemic is unfolding during a year when the world marks the 25th
anniversary of the landmark Beijing Platform for Action on women’s
rights and gender equality.
COVID-19 has been reported in practically every corner of the planet.
Nearly 1.5 million cases and more than 85,000 deaths have occurred
since the disease first emerged in China last December.
While everyone is affected, the UN chief highlighted the pandemic’s
devastating consequences on women and girls, which cross every sphere:
from health and the economy, to security and social protection.
“Nearly 60 per cent of women around the world work in the informal
economy, earning less, saving less, and at greater risk of falling into
poverty. As markets fall and businesses close, millions of women’s jobs
have disappeared”, said Mr. Guterres.
“At the same time as they are losing paid employment, women’s unpaid
care work has increased exponentially as a result of school closures and
the increased needs of older people. These currents are combining as
never before to defeat women’s rights and deny women’s opportunities.”
Forced lockdowns and movement restrictions also mean that women
suffering gender-based violence are now trapped at home with their
abusers at a time when support services are disrupted or inaccessible.
A mother and daughter wear face masks to protect against the coronavirus at a health centre in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
Women and girls at the heart of the response
As the Secretary-General stated, COVID-19 is not only a challenge to
global health systems, but also a test of our human spirit, and a better
world must emerge following the pandemic.
“Gender equality and women’s rights are essential to getting through
this pandemic together, to recovering faster, and to building a better
future for everyone”, he said.
The UN chief urged Governments to put women and girls at the centre
of their recovery efforts, including by making them leaders and equally
involved in decision-making.
“Measures to protect and stimulate the economy, from cash transfers
to credits and loans, must be targeted at women”, he stressed, adding
that “unpaid care work must be recognized and valued as a vital
contribution to the economy”.
‘Zero tolerance for domestic violence’
Meanwhile, Ambassadors from 124 UN Member States and Observers have
answered the Secretary-General’s recent call to address the surge in
domestic violence in the pandemic.
These countries have committed to making prevention and redress of
gender-based violence a key part of their national response plans.
“More than ever, there needs to be zero tolerance for domestic violence”, they wrote in a letter to the UN chief.
They added that women are “not just victims” in the crisis; they also play a major role in COVID-19 response.
“Nearly 70 per cent of frontline health and social workers are women.
Women also shoulder a disproportionate share of unpaid care work and
they are critical actors in the sustainable development of all
countries”, the letter said.
“We must therefore ensure women are included in all response and
recovery decisions. This is the only way to ‘build back better’ for
everyone”.
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The United Nations is advocating immediate
global action to end all forms of violence against women and girls in
the midst of a global upsurge related to the spread of the COVID-19
pandemic across the world.
UN chief António Guterres is calling for
measures to address a “horrifying global surge in domestic violence”
directed towards women and girls, linked to lockdowns imposed by
governments responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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