{"id":55734,"date":"2020-05-11T11:26:08","date_gmt":"2020-05-11T01:26:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=55734"},"modified":"2020-05-11T12:01:00","modified_gmt":"2020-05-11T02:01:00","slug":"the-pandemics-gender-imperative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/the-pandemics-gender-imperative\/","title":{"rendered":"The pandemic\u2019s gender imperative"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/figure>\n

Regardless of where one looks, it is women who bear most of the responsibility for holding societies together, be it at home, in health care, at school or in caring for the elderly. In many countries, women perform these tasks without pay. Yet even when the work is carried out by professionals, those professions tend to be dominated by women, and they tend to\u00a0pay less<\/a>\u00a0than male-dominated professions.<\/p>\n

The Covid-19 crisis has thrown these gender-based differences into even sharper relief. Regional frameworks, multilateral organisations and international financial institutions must recognise that women will play a critical role in resolving the crisis, and that measures to address the pandemic and its economic fallout should include a gender perspective.<\/p>\n

We see three areas where women and girls are particularly at risk and in need of stronger protections in the current crisis.<\/p>\n

First, experience\u00a0shows<\/a>\u00a0that domestic, sexual and gender-based violence increases during crises and disasters. It happened during the 2014\u201316 Ebola and 2015\u201316 Zika epidemics, and it appears to be\u00a0happening now<\/a>. Under conditions of quarantine or stay-at-home measures, women and children who live with violent and controlling men are exposed to considerably greater danger.<\/p>\n

The need to support these women and children will only increase when the crisis is over and people are free to move around again. We must ensure that women\u2019s shelters and other forms of assistance are maintained and strengthened accordingly. Governments and civil-society groups must provide more resources such as emergency housing and telephone helplines, perhaps leveraging mobile technologies in innovative new ways, as is happening in so many other domains.<\/p>\n

Second, the majority of those on the front lines of the pandemic are women, because\u00a0women make up 70%<\/a>\u00a0of all health and social services staff globally. We urgently need to empower these women, starting by providing more resources to those who also assume primary responsibility for household work. Increasingly, that could include caring for infected family members, which will subject these women to even greater risk.<\/p>\n

Women also\u00a0account<\/a>\u00a0for the majority of the world\u2019s older population\u2014particularly those over 80\u2014and thus a majority of potential coronavirus patients. Yet they tend to have less access to health services than men do. Worse, in several countries that experienced previous epidemics, the provision of sexual and reproductive health services\u2014including prenatal and maternal care and access to contraceptives and safe abortions\u2014was reduced as soon as resources needed to be\u00a0reallocated<\/a>\u00a0for the crisis. Such defunding has grave consequences for women and girls, and must be prevented at all costs.<\/p>\n

Finally, women are particularly vulnerable economically. Globally, women\u2019s personal finances\u00a0are weaker<\/a>\u00a0than men\u2019s, and their position in the labour market is less secure. Moreover, women are more likely to be single parents who will be hit harder by the economic downturn that is now in full swing.<\/p>\n

Given these differences, it is critical that economic crisis-response measures account for women\u2019s unique situation. Particularly in conflict zones and other areas where gender equality receives short shrift, women and girls risk being excluded from decision-making processes, and potentially left behind altogether.<\/p>\n

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, where the international community adopted the\u00a0Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action<\/a>. We are calling on all governments to recommit to the principle that women have the same right to participate in decision-making as men do\u2014that their perspectives must be accounted for.<\/p>\n

To that end, policymakers at all levels need to listen to and engage with women\u2019s rights organisations when formulating responses to this crisis, and when preparing for the next one. The guiding question always should be: are women and men affected differently by this issue, and, if so, how can we achieve fairer outcomes?<\/p>\n

We must ensure that girls have just as much time to study as boys do and do not bear full responsibility for the care of siblings and parents. We also must learn the right lessons from the Covid-19 crisis, which demands that we take a hard look at how we value and pay for women\u2019s contributions to health care, social services and the economy. How can we ensure that women are not excluded from important political processes now and in the future?<\/p>\n

Today, all countries are facing the same crisis, and none will prevail over Covid-19 by acting alone. Given that we share the same future, all of us must work to ensure that it is one built on solidarity and partnership. Governments and the UN must show leadership. We know that gender-equal societies are more prosperous and sustainable than those with deep disparities. The world\u2019s decision-makers have an opportunity to make gender equality a top priority. We urge them to rise to the occasion.<\/p>\n

This commentary is co-signed by\u00a0Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey<\/strong>, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ghana;\u00a0Arancha Gonz\u00e1lez<\/strong>, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Spain; Kamina Johnson-Smith<\/strong>, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Jamaica;\u00a0Kang Kyung-wha<\/strong>, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea; Ann Linde<\/strong>, Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Sweden; Retno Marsudi<\/strong>, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Indonesia;\u00a0Grace Naledi Mandisa Pandor<\/strong>, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, South Africa;\u00a0Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka<\/strong>, Executive Director of UN Women; and\u00a0Ine Marie Eriksen S\u00f8reide<\/strong>, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Norway.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Regardless of where one looks, it is women who bear most of the responsibility for holding societies together, be it at home, in health care, at school or in caring for the elderly. 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