Empowering Women's Leadership in the Face of Pandemic and Beyond

Strategic Insights -

As we mark International Women's Day 2021, the urgent need to invest in women and women's leadership in strengthening gender equality and women's empowerment is more pressing than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated dangers for the health, human rights, and well-being of women and girls, reversing hard-won gains in recent decades. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) warned of such consequences, which have unfortunately come true in many countries in the Asia-Pacific region and globally. Despite the setbacks, women have shown strong leadership in responding to the crisis and mitigating its harms.

Key Takeaways:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a greater number of unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and unsafe births, as well as a sharp escalation in gender-based violence and harmful practices, such as child marriage and female genital mutilation.
  • Women have shown inspiring leadership in responding to the crisis, with examples including Kabita Bhandari, a family planning service provider in Nepal, and Anjuman Hossain, a psychosocial health counsellor in Bangladesh.
  • To strengthen women's leadership, it is essential to acknowledge and act upon the truth that women must be empowered to take charge of their own lives and bodies, including exercising their rights and choices, as embodied in the Programme of Action from the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo.
  • Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG5 (Gender Equality), requires accelerating the attainment of ICPD, which has been a driving force in connecting health and human rights.
  • Despite progress made since Cairo, the pandemic has rapidly undermined years of progress towards ICPD and the SDGs, with women and girls bearing the brunt.
  • Governments must urgently review, invest in, and strengthen policies to effectively address issues of maternal and newborn deaths, unintended pregnancies, and gender-based violence.
  • We must capitalize on lessons learned and best practices acquired while responding to the pandemic and use International Women's Day 2021 as a call to action to regain momentum and progress for women and girls.

Statistics:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in maternal and newborn deaths, unintended pregnancies, and gender-based violence.
  • According to the UNFPA, the number of unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and unsafe births has increased in many countries in the Asia-Pacific region and globally.
  • The pandemic has also exacerbated the challenge to eliminate gender-based violence, including child marriage and female genital mutilation.

Sources:

  • United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
  • Programme of Action from the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo
  • International Women's Day 2021 statement by Bjorn Andersson, UNFPA Asia-Pacific Regional Director
  • Contify.com