Crises do discriminate
(Courtesy of Yasmin Velloso / Malala Fund)
How girls and women are experiencing the pandemic.
I keep hearing that this crisis has us “all in the same boat,” but the truth is people around the world are weathering the COVID-19 outbreak in different ways and with different means. Crises do discriminate — and for girls and women, the pandemic is causing higher rates of gender-based violence, long-term interruptions to education and increases in unpaid domestic demands. At the same time, the outbreak is also highlighting the strength and creativity of female leaders on local and global levels.
This recommended reading list features a few of my favourite recent pieces that explore the ways in which girls and women are experiencing the crisis.
By Lucia Fry and Philippa Lei, 3 April 2020 | Malala Fund
If you are living in a country under lockdown, it’s likely that you can’t go to school right now. And you’re not alone: COVID-19 has disrupted the school year for almost 1.5 billion young people around the world. While many students continue to learn remotely and will eventually return to the classroom, the pandemic could mark the end of education for the most marginalised girls. Malala Fund’s latest report estimates that 20 million more secondary school age girls could be out of school after the crisis has passed. After past public health emergencies, increased rates of poverty, household responsibilities, child labour and teenage pregnancy as well as restrictive school policies prevented many girls from returning to the classroom.
Malala Fund is calling on governments to ensure gender equality is central in their responses to COVID-19. By learning from the past and providing all girls with access to education, we can build a world more resilient against future shocks and crises.
“What Do Countries With The Best Coronavirus Responses Have In Common? Women Leaders”
By Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, 13 April 2020 | Forbes
Although less than 7% of the world’s heads of state are women, women leaders have been making headlines around the world for their strong responses to the coronavirus. Writer Avivah Wittenberg-Cox considers what qualities make these leaders successful in responding to the crisis.
In Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, she sees decisiveness. At the first sign of the virus, President Ing-wen introduced “124 measures to block the spread without having to resort to the lockdowns that have become common elsewhere.” Avivah commends Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, for telling her country the truth from the beginning, conveying the seriousness of the situation and the need for immediate action. Avivah writes about the compassion displayed by Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg Avivah when she chose to have a press conference for the kids of Norway to address their fears and emotions directly. As we hear so much military rhetoric from many male leaders about “battling” this new enemy, these women have taught us that you can’t have victory without values.
“The Coronavirus Is a Disaster for Feminism: Pandemics affect men and women differently”
By Helen Lewis, 19 March 2020 | The Atlantic
Back in March, journalist Helen Lewis declared, “Across the world, women’s independence will be a silent victim of the pandemic.” In her article, she discussed some of the consequences the coronavirus will have for women, including an increase in unpaid caring labour as older relatives and children require assistance and a decrease in women’s lifetime earnings as economies stall.
What struck me in this article was how women’s health needs often get overlooked first in public health emergencies. In the article, public health researcher Dr. Clare Wenham shares that in Sierra Leone during the Ebola outbreak from 2013 to 2016, more women died of obstetric complications than the infectious disease itself. Helen explains that during crises, health systems and priorities understandably get distorted as governments scramble to respond to immediate needs. But the resources they divert disproportionately come from women’s health services. Part of the problem is caused by the fact women represent just 25% of global health leadership, despite making up almost 70% of the global health workforce.
“What Palestinian women can teach the world about self-isolation”
By Noha Abou El Magd, 3 April 2020 | gal-dem
While isolation might be new to many of us, Palestinians in Gaza have lived for years without the freedom of movement. In her piece for Gal-Dem, Noha Abou El Magd spoke with several young women in Gaza about their experiences during lockdowns, giving us important perspectives and advice on our present situation. The young Palestinians discussed using isolation as a chance to create art or heal old emotional wounds. The closing line from 20-year-old student Malk resonated with me the most: “This is an opportunity for empathy and understanding. I would say to people to not think selfishly and to support and help one another. When we are in times of crisis it brings us closer together.”
Correction: July 13, 2020 An earlier version of this article featured a miscalculated statistic. Malala Fund’s report estimates that 20 million more secondary school-age girls could be out of school after the COVID-19 crisis has passed, not 10 million.
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