UNITED NATIONS – The total participation of women is for an effective reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic and also for the advancement of peace processes, a UNITED Nations policy note published on Monday.
UN Women and the Department of Political Affairs and Peacebuilding on Monday issued a joint note entitled “COVID-19 and Conflict: Promoting Meaningful Participation of Women in The Ceasefire and Peace Processes”.
In the UN Secretary-General’s call for a global ceasefire, the report addresses “the importance of the full, equivalent and meaningful participation of women in an effective reaction to a pandemic and peacemaking efforts”.
It also provides initial research on the effect of COVID-19 on women’s participation in ceasefire and peace processes and proposes a number of recommendations, adding “better rebuilding”.
UN General Assembly President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande warned in July that progress in gender equality is greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and that this can mean a significant setback in the world if it continues in this regard.
In March 2020, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for a ceasefire to allow the world to fight COVID-19.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, women have been at the forefront of effective prevention and reaction efforts at COVID-19, from offering the front line to the highest levels of decision-making, the UN leader said.
A specific fear is the effect of the crisis on women in confrontation contexts. In these already tragic contexts, many women have had their access to sexual and reproductive health, livelihoods and other severely restricted essential facilities, according to the address note.
Increased exposure to the disease due to its peak participation in paid and unpaid care work, the outbreak of domestic violence and the already fragile fitness systems that are overtaken highlight the gender-differentiated effects of the pandemic, according to the report.
Displaced women, refugees, rural women and other marginalized women face additional challenges, adding to the lack of reliable data and critical technologies, the brief notes.