The Commission on the Status of Women continued its sixty-fifth session today, resuming a general discussion and hosting an interactive dialogue via videoconference to investigate how building gender-sensitive COVID-19 response plans can shape more resilient, inclusive communities.
Opening the dialogue on the theme “Building back better: Women’s participation and leadership in COVID-19 response and recovery”, moderator Maria Van Kerkhove, COVID-19 Technical Lead and Head of the Emerging Diseases and Zoonoses Unit and the MERS-CoV Technical Lead at the World Health Organization (WHO), said women have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. An estimated 247 million women will be living on less than $1 a day in 2021, up from 219 million before the pandemic, she said, adding that women are also underrepresented in leadership roles, and action is needed to include them in response plans.
Panellists introduced regional, national and thematic challenges and achievements, with some providing examples of how best to craft a post-pandemic “new normal” that includes women in decision-making roles with a view to truly building back better.
Investments in women’s groups is key, said Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, a human rights lawyer and Founder and Chief Executive of Rozaria Memorial Trust in Zimbabwe, stressing that: “The micro is the macro.” Governments much consider and support local women’s groups who are providing essential services during the pandemic, as countries engage with agencies such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Indeed, effective local efforts must be scaled up in areas such as combating gender-based violence. But, guidelines are not enough unless they are translated into action, she said, highlighting other key areas, including that girls must return to school.