The policy brief by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres shows how COVID-19 is deteriorating the living condition of women and girls' around the world. The pandemic is deepening and amplifying the pre-existing inequalities. From health to society, economy to security, the impacts of the pandemic is exponential for women and girls simply because of their sex. These trends are scary, to say the least. The Policy hints at the rolling back of decades of 'limited' progress in gender inclusivity and equality.
"The Pandemic has reversed decades of limited and fragile progress on gender equality and women's rights." - Antonio Guterres
The United Nations Secretary-General in an address to virtual town hall meeting with young women from civil society organizations said, "The Pandemic has reversed decades of limited and fragile progress on gender equality and women's rights." Mr Guterres added further, "without a concerted response, we risk losing a generation or more of gains." He talked about the increasing number of gender-based violence because women are now confined with their abusers, as resources are diverted to avert the ongoing crisis. According to Guterres, women are suffering because funding is being redirected from maternal and reproductive health services. He said the U.N. has also urged governments to prioritise the protection of women from gender-based violence in their national COVID-19 plans, revealing that he was “heartened” that more than 140 governments “committed to taking action to designate women’s shelters as essential and to continue and expand online services.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has earlier urged governments to ‘put women and girls at the centre of their efforts to recover from COVID-19 and that starts with women as leaders, with equal representation and decision-making power’.
Secretary-General António Guterres speaking at a meeting. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré
"without a concerted response, we risk losing a generation or more of gains."
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Prakriti S is a foodie, wildlife photographer, geo-politics enthusiast, and a woman activist.
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