Op-ed: Build Back Better: Women at the Centre of Decision-Making

Jun 26, 2020
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The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our world and our world view, deepening pre-existing inequalities, and exposing vulnerabilities in social, political, and economic systems. Across every sphere, from health to the economy, security to social protection, the negative impacts of COVID-19 are exacerbated for women and girls simply by virtue of their sex. These impacts risk reversing limited gains made on women’s rights and empowerment in the past decades. At the same time, women are on the front lines of response, as heads of state and government, legislators, healthcare workers, carers at home and community leaders and mobilisers, amongst other roles. Women leaders are in several countries excelling in COVID-19 response, providing powerful examples of how women’s leadership and participation can provide more effective, inclusive, and fair policies, plans and budgets to address the pandemic. This is the time to ensure that gender equality concerns are fully embedded in our short-term responses and longer-term recovery to build the more equal and resilient societies that we will need coming out of this crisis.