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Women lead the response to COVID-19 in Displacement Camps Around the World

Submitted by ajkanesan on

The COVID-19 has presented an unprecedented emergency globally, with governments responding with restrictions and lockdowns to curb the spread of the virus. Internally displaced persons are particularly vulnerable, with the pandemic having impacted the living conditions and personal circumstances of the displaced persons living in camps and camp-like settings, which made it difficult to implement mitigation measures in many displacement settings. Internally displaced persons in crisis and emergency contexts are disproportionately affected by the pandemic due to their specific needs and vulnerabilities. IDPs already face barriers in accessing with adequate living standards, livelihoods, health and education services, often being excluded from public health measures. Restrictions imposed by Governments to protect public health has impacted IDPs access to livelihood opportunities, healthcare facilities, and has further restricted their movements within camps, and with protection risks exacerbated for women, girls, elderly persons and persons with disabilities. Women, girls and groups-at-risk often have less access to lifesaving information and to participate in camp-life due to existing unequal power dynamics or cultural barriers that restricts their movements. Meaningful, inclusive and representative participation in decision-making and camp governance structures is imperative for good camp management in ensuring that the risks, needs and capacities of women, girls and groups-at-risk are considered and prioritised.  

Ensuring meaningful participation of all groups is an essential pillar of good management and is essential in improving humanitarian response, disaster risk reduction, community engagement and support, mitigating GBV and ultimately to ensure accountability towards affected populations. With the meaningful participation of different groups within the displaced community, particularly of women, girls and groups-at-risk, the different needs and capacities can be reflected and addressed.  With women and girls often making up more than half of the displaced population, women’s participation and inclusion in camp governance structures have been traditionally limited and restricted. Women’s participation in decision-making structures enables them to voice their safer concerns and support the identification of responses to mitigate identified GBV risks. In order to ensure women’s participation, specific strategies need to be adopted to ensure representation safely leads to decision-making. Opening opportunities for women and groups-at-risk to increase their involvement community life can lead to better collective action that reflects a participatory and inclusive approach, thus benefits would reach more women, children, families and groups-t-risk. When women and girls are more aware of their rights to participate, understand the purpose and benefits of this, this empowers them to participate in community decisions and advocate for greater inclusion and representation in camp governance structures.  

To respond to the most urgent needs of the pandemic, modalities and activities under the Women’s Participation Project were reoriented and adapted to ensure women and girls had access to the relevant information to prevent the spread of the virus in their communities and to promote an active role of women in the COVID-19 prevention and response activities. 

 

One of the main activities implemented as a response to the pandemic was the training and production of non-medical facemasks, through consultations with women’s groups in four countries implementing the Women’s Participation Project: South Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia and Bangladesh. In Wau Protection of Civilian (PoC) site in South Sudan, 29 IDP women, including 11 women with disabilities were identified to participate and attend the trainings which covered hand and machine sewing. As a result, the masks produced by this group of women, together with the masks produced with the support of other organisations, covered the entire PoC population.  This activity has been positively received by the women, with women commenting, “with the new skills I learned during the trainings, everybody around my house is reaching out to me to learn how these masks are produced which has given me more weight and value in my community and with the little money I get from selling the masks I am able to improve the small business that I am running at home.” 

In Somalia, the facemask activities were implemented in Dollow, where the core group of internally displaced women who participated in the project were located. Once masks had been produced, the women’s group held a discussion with groups-at-risk in the camp where it was decided that the first batch of masks would be distributed to groups-at-risk in the site for free, while the subsequent batches were sold at the local market. One of the women who participated in the activity shared that, “the face mask creation training I received not only helped me participate in the community initiative to fight against COVID-19 in our IDP sites, but also helped me gain the skills I need to provide an income for my family. We are making masks to help people; children and the entire community, protect themselves from the COVID-19.”  

 

 

With restrictions and lockdowns enforced by the Government of Bangladesh in response to the pandemic, the Women’s Committee in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh – which comprises more than 100 female Rohingya refugee and host community members –  has been on the forefront of the COVID-19 preparedness and response in the camp. Having been trained on COVID-19 health and social measures messaging, the committee has been in the forefront of disseminating these key messages, reaching over 700 women and adolescent girls in their respective communities. The sessions conducted by the Women’s Committee with the community covered COVID-19 symptoms, prevention measures, management of symptoms, referral mechanisms in place, and how to manage rumours and stigmatization.  In Somalia, IOM Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) teams supported IDP women’s groups on Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) which included development and adaptation of RCCE materials on the use of face masks. Moreover, IOM liaised with UNDP for the elaboration of awareness-raising videos to be used during RCCE activities developed in Somali language, covering the topics of non-medical mask making and proper use.  

As religion plays a significant role in Somalia, mosques remained open despite the risks of COVID-19 transmission and lack of support to implement COVID-19 risk mitigation measures. To address this, IOM CCCM teams provided cleaning materials and 50 handwashing stations to IDP women, who identified the mosques to distribute the items and install the stations. Moreover, the women’s groups have been working closely with the community and imams (religious leaders) to raise awareness based on the RCCE training received, to mitigate the risk of COVID-19. In total, 200 mosques were supported in three locations: Baidoa, Kismayo and Dollow. The role of women’s groups in responding to COVID-19 has been positively viewed by the religious leaders, with one imam remarking, “This is not only meant for the women but is very essential and inclusive for all genders. It was an integrated approach that mean to prevent the spread of pandemic in the IDPs, thus IDP women’s groups helped us with cleaning materials meant to clean the mosques in the IDPs as the means of mitigation of COVID-19. We are very grateful for women's roles within the community in such crucial times.” 

In addition to non-medical face mask making activities, Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials were produced in Nigeria in five different local languages to enable ease with dissemination of COVID-19 key messages to communities. Moreover, the IOM CCCM teams conducted trainings for women’s committee members and camp sectoral committee members on self-care management during COVID-19, ensuring trainees replicated this to the camp population.  Similarly, in Kersa IDP site in Ethiopia, a group of 12 women were trained on communication and leadership skills and in key messages on COVID-19 with the aim to empower and prepare the participants to lead the RCCE activities on COVID19. Furthermore, the participants were equipped with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), to ensure that they could safely replicate the key messages in their community.  

 

This article was written by Ashereen Kanesan, IOM Global CCCM Support Consultant for the Department of Operations and Emergencies.


 The Women’s Participation Project began in 2015 as part of the 'Safe from the Start' Initiative, managed by the Global Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Support team at IOM HQ. With the objective to improve women’s participation and representation in displacement, mainstreaming prevention and mitigation of GBV in camp management operations, the Women's Participation Project has been implemented in 9 countries in the last five years including Ecuador, Bangladesh, South Sudan, Somalia and Nigeria. 

To find out more on the Women’s Participation Project, visit the Women in Displacement Platform.  

IOM Strengthens Gender-Based Violence Response in Cox’s Bazar amidst COVID-19

Submitted by ajkanesan on

Cox’s Bazar – Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of Gender-based Violence (GBV) for Rohingya and Bangladeshi women and girls already was alarmingly high in Cox´s Bazar, Bangladesh. Since the onset of COVID-19, evidence suggests there has been a surge in rates of intimate partner and domestic violence in both Rohingya and host communities.

Due to mobility restrictions and protection risks, women and girls have struggled to access lifesaving GBV and sexual and reproductive health services. Furthermore, the lack of socio-economic opportunities has strained those already at-risk, such as single female-headed households.

Despite these challenges, several innovative tools and strategic partnerships have enabled IOM to adapt its GBV programming to the unique and ever-evolving context of the pandemic.

Building on IOM’s Institutional Framework for Addressing GBV in Crises (GBViC) — rolled out in Cox’s Bazar in 2019 — and its accompanying Action Plan, IOM’s GBV team has managed to successfully ensure the continuity of face-to-face individual case management services. IOM has also maintained its operation of 10 Women and Girls Safe Spaces across nine camps and the emergency safe shelter for GBV survivors, in accordance with COVID-19 health guidelines.

As part of commitments set out in the GBViC Action Plan to equip frontline staff and volunteers with the appropriate knowledge and skills to support survivors of GBV, IOM conducted this month a four-day training on Clinical Management of Rape and Intimate Partner Violence for 50 health care providers. 

Another training on GBV core concepts, safe referrals, counter-trafficking, Psychological First Aid and Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse was organized from June to October for 345 clinical and non-clinical staff.

During the pandemic, the Women’s Participation Project –implemented in Cox's Bazar since 2018– has continued to provide a space for consultations with women and girls despite the camps’ numerous protection challenges. Through this project, the Women’s Committee has been empowered and supported women to participate in decision-making structures, ensuring their needs and capacities are met. The initiative is currently being replicated in four camps, with the goal of better understanding how women’s participation in governance camp structures could contribute to mitigating and reducing the risks of GBV.

IOM recently launched the “Self-Care and Coping Skills in Stressful Situations” booklet, developed for Rohingya and Bangladeshi communities, accompanied by audio recordings. The booklet covers topics, such as coping strategies for reducing stress, key information on protection and GBV services, self-care exercises and COVID-19 prevention measures.

Regular sessions on using the booklet are conducted in the Women and Girls Safe Spaces and at the community level. Meaningful engagement enables participants to voice their safety concerns and supports humanitarian actors in their risk-mitigation efforts. Through a participatory approach, women can define their own risks, capacities, and community outreach strategies.

Rehena is one of the twelve female community leaders who recently attended a training of trainers on the topic, and who is now sensitizing other women on healthy coping mechanisms. “I feel fortunate to have been selected for this training and consider it my duty to pass on this valuable information to other women so they can too be relieved of their daily stress,” Rehena said.

“While important efforts have been made to eliminate violence against women and girls, the implementation of GBV activities remains a significant challenge. It is critical that women and girls remain active participants in the process of identifying protection and GBV risks and solutions,” explained Chissey Mueller, IOM’s Protection Coordinator in Cox’s Bazar.

“During the pandemic, the rights and dignity of survivors continue to be at the heart of our response.”

As part of UN System’s 16 Days of Activism against GBV, celebrated from 25 November to 10 December under the theme “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!”, IOM is co-organizing several interagency events focused on GBV prevention and response in emergencies.

Together with its implementing partner PULSE, IOM is also organizing several field activities focused on GBV risk mitigation, prevention and response, as well as events celebrating women’s skills and accomplishments, all in line with COVID-19 prevention measures.

For more information, please contact Monica Chiriac, Tel: +880 1880 084 048, Email: mchiriac@iom.int, or Tarek Mahmud, Tel: + 880 1752 380 240, Email: tmahmud@iom.int, at IOM Bangladesh in Cox’s Bazar. 

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Country
Bangladesh

Women lead the response to COVID-19 in Displacement Camps Around the World

Submitted by ajkanesan on

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the living conditions and personal circumstances of the displaced persons living in camps and camp-like settings, which made it difficult to implement mitigation measures in many displacement settings. To respond to the most urgent needs of the pandemic, modalities and activities under the Women’s Participation Project were reoriented and adapted to ensure women and girls had access to the relevant information to prevent the spread of the virus in their communities and to promote an active role of women in the COVID-19 prevention and response activities. 

 

One of the main activities implemented as a response to the pandemic was the training and production of non-medical facemasks, through consultations with women’s groups in four countries implementing the Women’s Participation Project: South Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia and Bangladesh. In Wau Protection of Civilian (PoC) site in South Sudan, 29 IDP women, including 11 women with disabilities were identified to participate and attend the trainings which covered hand and machine sewing. As a result, the masks produced by this group of women, together with the masks produced with the support of other organisations, covered the entire PoC population.  This activity has been positively received by the women, with women commenting, “with the new skills I learned during the trainings, everybody around my house is reaching out to me to learn how these masks are produced which has given me more weight and value in my community and with the little money I get from selling the masks I am able to improve the small business that I am running at home.” 

In Somalia, the facemask activities were implemented in Dollow, where the core group of internally displaced women who participated in the project were located. Once masks had been produced, the women’s group held a discussion with groups-at-risk in the camp where it was decided that the first batch of masks would be distributed to groups-at-risk in the site for free, while the subsequent batches were sold at the local market. One of the women who participated in the activity shared that, “the face mask creation training I received not only helped me participate in the community initiative to fight against COVID-19 in our IDP sites, but also helped me gain the skills I need to provide an income for my family. We are making masks to help people; children and the entire community, protect themselves from the COVID-19.”  

With restrictions and lockdowns enforced by the Government of Bangladesh in response to the pandemic, the Women’s Committee in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh – which comprises more than 100 female Rohingya refugee and host community members –  has been on the forefront of the COVID-19 preparedness and response in the camp. Having been trained on COVID-19 health and social measures messaging, the committee has been in the forefront of disseminating these key messages, reaching over 700 women and adolescent girls in their respective communities. The sessions conducted by the Women’s Committee with the community covered COVID-19 symptoms, prevention measures, management of symptoms, referral mechanisms in place, and how to manage rumours and stigmatization.  In Somalia, IOM Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) teams supported IDP women’s groups on Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) which included development and adaptation of RCCE materials on the use of face masks. Moreover, IOM liaised with UNDP for the elaboration of awareness-raising videos to be used during RCCE activities developed in Somali language, covering the topics of non-medical mask making and proper use.  

As religion plays a significant role in Somalia, mosques remained open despite the risks of COVID-19 transmission and lack of support to implement COVID-19 risk mitigation measures. To address this, IOM CCCM teams provided cleaning materials and 50 handwashing stations to IDP women, who identified the mosques to distribute the items and install the stations. Moreover, the women’s groups have been working closely with the community and imams (religious leaders) to raise awareness based on the RCCE training received, to mitigate the risk of COVID-19. In total, 200 mosques were supported in three locations: Baidoa, Kismayo and Dollow. The role of women’s groups in responding to COVID-19 has been positively viewed by the religious leaders, with one imam remarking, “This is not only meant for the women but is very essential and inclusive for all genders. It was an integrated approach that mean to prevent the spread of pandemic in the IDPs, thus IDP women’s groups helped us with cleaning materials meant to clean the mosques in the IDPs as the means of mitigation of COVID-19. We are very grateful for women's roles within the community in such crucial times.” 

In addition to non-medical face mask making activities, Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials were produced in Nigeria in five different local languages to enable ease with dissemination of COVID-19 key messages to communities. Moreover, the IOM CCCM teams conducted trainings for women’s committee members and camp sectoral committee members on self-care management during COVID-19, ensuring trainees replicated this to the camp population.  Similarly, in Kersa IDP site in Ethiopia, a group of 12 women were trained on communication and leadership skills and in key messages on COVID-19 with the aim to empower and prepare the participants to lead the RCCE activities on COVID19. Furthermore, the participants were equipped with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), to ensure that they could safely replicate the key messages in their community.  

The Women’s Participation Project began in 2015 as part of the 'Safe from the Start' Initiative, managed by the Global Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Support team at IOM HQ. With the objective to improve women’s participation and representation in displacement, mainstreaming prevention and mitigation of GBV in camp management operations, the Women's Participation Project has been implemented in 9 countries in the last five years including Ecuador, Bangladesh, South Sudan, Somalia and Nigeria. 

To find out more on the Women’s Participation Project, visit the Women in Displacement Platform.  

This article was written by Ashereen Kanesan, IOM Global CCCM Support Consultant for the Department of Operations and Emergencies. 

Displaced Women Lead the Response to COVID-19 in Camps Around the World

Submitted by ajkanesan on

Geneva — Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, women internally displaced by conflict or disasters already faced significant barriers in accessing job opportunities, healthcare and education. Public health restrictions imposed worldwide, moreover, increased many of the vulnerabilities and protection risks faced by women, girls, elderly persons and persons with disabilities.

Groups-at-risk often have less access to lifesaving information and less opportunities to participate in camp-life. Although women and girls frequently comprise the majority of most displaced populations, their participation in decision-making traditionally has been minimal.

Yet in some camps, or camp-like settings hosting thousands of displaced people, women have begun taking on important leadership roles to make sure these groups are not overlooked.

Through meaningful, inclusive and representative processes, more women in camps are participating in decision-making and camp governance structures — processes that are imperative for good camp management and a more effective response to humanitarian crises.

It is also a crucial mechanism to ensure humanitarian actors remain accountable, first and foremost, to affected populations.

When women become active decision-makers, they are given more agency to voice concerns about their safety and health — especially regarding ways the humanitarian community can better prevent or mitigate incidents of gender-based violence and other protection risks.

They also become more aware of their rights and become stronger advocates for greater inclusion and representation.

In the current context, women have been essential in ensuring their communities — especially the most vulnerable — have access to services and information they need to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The IOM-led Women’s Participation Project aims to bring more women to the centre of the humanitarian community’s response to the pandemic in five countries: Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan

Meet some of the women paving the way and leading the response to COVID-19 in displacement settings around the world.

SOUTH SUDAN

 

Image removed.

Photo: IOM South Sudan

Twenty-nine internally displaced women, including 11 women with disabilities, learned to sew masks in Naivasha IDP Camp in South Sudan which then were distributed to community members helping curb the spread of COVID-19.

 

Image removed.

Photo: IOM South Sudan

With the new skills I learned during training, everybody is reaching out to me to learn how these masks are produced. That has given me more weight and value in my community. The income I earn from selling the masks also has allowed me to improve my small business,” said one female participant.

SOMALIA

 

Image removed.

Photo: IOM Somalia

Women in an IDP camp in Dollow, Somalia sewed face masks and decided collectively to distribute the first batch free of charge to at-risk groups. Subsequent batches were sold in a local market.

 

Image removed.

Photo: IOM Somalia

Creating face masks not only helped me fight against COVID-19 in our IDP sites, but also helped me gain the skills to provide my family an income. We are making masks to help people — children and the entire community — protect themselves from the COVID-19,” said one woman.

 

Image removed.

Photo: IOM Somalia

Women’s groups in Somalia have been working closely with the community and Imams representing 200 mosques to provide cleaning materials and raise awareness about COVID-19 prevention. This has helped curb the spread of the virus among Somali communities.

“We are very grateful for women’s roles within the community in such crucial times. These efforts are not only meant for women but are very essential and inclusive for all genders,” said one Imam.

BANGLADESH

 

Image removed.

Photo: IOM Bangladesh

With restrictions and lockdowns enforced by the Government of Bangladesh in response to the pandemic, the Women’s Committee in Cox’s Bazar has been on the forefront of the COVID-19 preparedness and response in the camp. After receiving training, they have educated over 85,000 of their community members on COVID-19 symptom identification and management, prevention measures, referral mechanisms and ways to avert rumours and stigmatization.

 

Image removed.

Photo: IOM Bangladesh

IOM has received increased reports of gender-based violence and protection incidents in Cox’s Bazar. Through remote consultations with the Women’s Committee, women have been trained in coping with stress– an effort organised by Site Management and Protection teams to provide key information related to protection and GBV services, COVID19 messaging and some self-care exercises.

NIGERIA

 

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Photo: IOM Nigeria

The Women’s Participation Project expanded to Gubio Camp in Maiduguri, Nigeria. During consultations with the women’s groups, the production of non-medical facemasks was identified as a key to curb the spread of COVID-19. Forty women received training and produced more than 8,000 face masks.

ETHIOPIA

 

Image removed.

Photo: IOM Ethiopia

The Women’s Committee in Kersa IDP Site has been at the forefront of community engagement and ensuring COVID-19 prevention measures are respected during distributions of emergency items and cleaning materials to the internally displaced community.

The Women’s Participation Project began in 2015 as part of the ‘Safe from the Start’ Initiative, managed by the Global Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Support team at IOM HQ. With the objective to improve women’s participation and representation in displacement, mainstreaming prevention and mitigation of GBV in camp management operations, the Women’s Participation Project has been implemented in 9 countries in the last five years including Ecuador, Bangladesh, South Sudan, Somalia and Nigeria.

To learn more about the Women’s Participation Project, visit the Women in Displacement Platform.

 

Read the full article here!

Communities Getting Involved: Supporting Community Leadership in the Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

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The COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges for forcibly displaced persons and the humanitarian organizations working to support them. With restrictions on movement and limited access to refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and stateless persons across the globe, UNHCR is supporting displaced communities to take the lead in the prevention of, and the response to, the existing and emerging protection needs of women, men, girls and boys of diverse backgrounds.

This brief provides an overview of UNHCRs approach to engaging communities in the prevention and response to COVID-19, and draws on examples from the field, where displaced communities are partnering with humanitarian actors to protect those at heightened risk.

Community members are the persons most knowledgeable about their own needs, and the best advisers on what approaches are suited in their local area. Every community that faces threats, engages in forms of individual or collective self-protection. If external agencies introduce new measures without considering existing ones, the community may lose its capacity to self-protect, resulting in it being worse off when external support is reduced. It is, therefore, necessary that we understand and support the strategies that communities already use, building on them and leveraging their skills and resources.

UNHCR has a history of working hand-in-hand with communities in the identification of protection needs, and jointly developing responses that build on their knowledge, capacities and resources.
UNHCR believes that meaningful participation:

• is a right, and essential for informed decision-making;

• leads to better protection outcomes and reduces feelings of powerlessness;

• enables UNHCR to draw on the insights, knowledge, capacities, skills and resources of persons of concern;

• empowers women, men, girls and boys of different backgrounds to rebuild self-esteem and self-confidence; and • helps people of concern cope with the trauma of forced displacement.

Through the regular, systematic and meaningful participation of women, men, girls and boys of diverse backgrounds, UNHCR gains a real-time understanding of how COVID-19 is impacting individuals differently, and is able to work with them to develop programmes that address these differing needs effectively.

UNHCR applies a community-based approach in its work with forcibly displaced people through which it identifies and supports community structures and establishes partnerships with community-based organizations, who play a critical role in reaching out to at-risk and marginalized groups and responding to the impacts of COVID-19. This becomes particularly important in contexts where UNHCR and partners face difficulties in accessing refugees, asylum-seekers, IDPs and stateless persons.

Read the full report here

Unlocking the lockdown gender-differentiated consequences of COVID-19 in Afghanistan

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New York, NY, November 8, 2020 — To understand the gender impact of COVID-19 in Afghanistan, UN Women partnered with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), civil society organizations, and a mobile network operator (Roshan) to conduct a Rapid Assessment Survey across Afghanistan. The survey is part of a regional project run by UN Women to understand the differential impact of the pandemic on individuals across the Asia Pacific region. This rapid assessment survey summarizes first-hand data, research and policy work on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women and girls, including how it is affecting employment, health, unpaid care, migration, internally displaced people, returnees and host communities.

While COVID-19 took a toll on all Afghans, the impacts on women and girls have worsened across the board the study highlights. “COVID-19 exposes our darkest social, economic and political vulnerabilities”, said Aleta Miller, UN Women Representative in Afghanistan. “The report we are just launching today shows that from homes to internally displaced camps, Afghan women are especially hurt by the resulting economic and social fallout.”

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, 77% of Afghans surveyed reported that the pandemic has negatively affected their emotional and mental health. Survey findings show that accessing health care is a challenge for the vast majority of the population. Respondents noted longer waiting times at the doctor, an inability to seek medical care when needed, and reduced access to medical supplies, hygiene products, and food. However, women face additional challenges and discrimination in accessing these services due to the lack of female health practitioners and cultural barriers restricting women’s travel, especially in rural areas.

The spread of COVID-19 is not only a global health pandemic, but is also affecting people’s livelihoods. In Afghanistan, when women work, they mostly do so in the informal sector. Survey findings indicate that 63% of women surveyed who work in the informal sector have lost their jobs since the beginning of the pandemic. The impacts are not just economic. More people at home also means that the burden of unpaid care and domestic work has increased for women and girls. For example, only 11%of men reported increases in the amount of time spent carrying out at least three activities related to unpaid domestic work. In comparison, the percentage for women was a striking 41%.

“We know that crises impact women and girls differently because of gender inequality, yet we are still not seeing most COVID-19 response plans prioritize their unique needs” said Vicki Aken, IRC Country Director in Afghanistan. “The meaningful participation of women at all levels, a focus on gathering and analyzing gender disaggregated data, and designated budgets to support the needs of women and girls are critical in ensuring they are not left further behind due to COVID-19.”

The publication concludes with a series of recommendations including calling for greater investment of data on the gendered impacts of the pandemic. Aleta Miller, UN Women Representative in Afghanistan commented, “Afghanistan stands the unique opportunity to build back stronger and better as the country approaches peace. But in order to do so, women must be the drivers and the beneficiaries of the response that tackles the vulnerabilities our report is flagging. All policies addressing the fallout of COVID-19 pandemic must be inclusive and transformative, addressing women’s leadership and labour, both outside and within the home.”

Read the full report here

Read the full press release here 

Country
Afghanistan