The COVID-19 crisis will dramatically increase the poverty rate for women and widen the gap between men and women who live in poverty, according to new data released today by UN Women and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The poverty rate for women was expected to decrease by 2.7 percent between 2019 and 2021, but projections now point to an increase of 9.1 percent due to the pandemic and its fallout.

The purpose of the tracker is to assess the gender sensitivity of these measures. It is based on publicly available information, including official government documents, media coverage, and existing policy repositories that track government responses to COVID-19. Data on measures was also provided by UNDP and UN Women country offices. The tracker assesses the available information on the design features of policy measures. It does not conduct assessment of the gender impact of these measures, nor does it make a ranking of countries based on their policy responses.

La Comisión Interamericana de Mujeres (CIM) de la Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA), con la cooperación de la Unión Europea a través de su programa EUROsociAL+, presenta y pone a disposición de los Estados Miembros de la OEA, de organizaciones de la sociedad civil y sector privado el documento “COVID-19 en la vida de las mujeres: Emergencia global de los cuidados”, en respuesta a la profundización de la desigualdad en la distribución de las tareas domésticas y de cuidado y al incremento de la carga de trabajo no remunerado que están realizando las mujeres. El texto analiza el rol de las mujeres en el funcionamiento de la vida doméstica y productiva y los impactos en sus vidas y en la economía.

“This conversation was an important opportunity to discuss how the Caribbean will build back better from the COVID-19 crisis. We heard about timely and comprehensive social protection interventions by the region’s governments – many with the support of the private sector – to address economic hardship and job losses, as well as initiatives to support families. At UN Women, we are committed to continuing to support the Governments and the people of the Caribbean in developing policies and programmes that address the needs of women, both in the private sector and in the informal sector, to ensure no one is left behind in the rebuilding of the region’s economies,” said Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women.

This multi-country allocation will be channelled to NGOs at a country level and help address the most pressing humanitarian needs based on the in-country priorities in health (including mental health and psychosocial support), and water and sanitation outlined in the Global Humanitarian Response Plan for COVID-19. Focus will be given to gender issues, including gender-based violence, and the needs of people living with disabilities. 

The Peace Operations chief, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, stressed the importance of continuing to prioritize the UN’s Action for Peacekeeping’s (A4P) Women, Peace and Security (WPS) commitments during the pandemic. The missions’ close relationships with women’s organizations have allowed them to “quickly and creatively continue to work” through UN assets – such as via radio, phone links and community alert systems – as well as by leveraging women-led structures, including women protection networks, early warning networks and gender working groups.

La CEPAL propone dinamizar sectores claves para la infraestructura y la sostenibilidad de la vida. Uno de ellos es la economía del cuidado y otro, la potencialización de sectores bajos en emisiones de carbono, donde las mujeres debieran tener una participación muy activa, afirmó hoy Alicia Bárcena.

Durante su intervención, afirmó que, sin duda, la feminización de la pobreza es uno de los grandes temas de esta región. Y en estos tiempos de pandemia hay un impacto desproporcionado en las mujeres trabajadoras. Además, aseguró que en estos tiempos le preocupa que se vean mermados los presupuestos de las entidades de género.

Of the 740 million women working in the informal economy,11 42 per cent are found in the abovementioned high-risk sectors, compared to 32 per cent of men.12 Lockdowns and curfews, compounded by limited, if any, access to social protection provisions – including health care, income and food support, and maternity protection – worsen their social and economic situation. For instance, women homeworkers who produce for global supply chains are particularly affected by COVID-19, as their incomes depend heavily on now suspended orders from high-income countries.13 In this context, when gender intersects with other personal characteristics, such as ethnicity, nationality, age, disability or HIV status, there is a risk that both gender disparities and intra-women inequalities will widen further.

Guidance from UNDP, Gender-based violence and COVID-19, also recommends developing new protocols to provide support via phone or online platforms rather than in person, expanding immediate response services in order to save lives, and most ensuring that steps to prevent gender-based violence are in every COVID-19 response plan and budget.

Investment in transforming the transport sector could create millions of new jobs and help countries move to greener, healthier economies, says report from the International Labour Organization and the UN Economic Commission for Europe.

The study finds that 10 million additional jobs could be created worldwide - 2.9 million in the UNECE region - if 50 per cent of all vehicles manufactured were electric. In addition, almost 5 million new jobs could be created worldwide - 2.5 million in the UNECE region - if UNECE countries doubled investment in public transport.

Curtailed access to justice institutions, rising intimate partner violence, growing injustice for women workers – including those on the frontlines of the crisis –, and discriminatory laws are some of the major risks to women’s lives and livelihoods associated with COVID-19. Estimates suggest that roughly 2.73 billion women around the world live in countries where stay-at-home orders are in place, which sharply heightens the risk of intimate partner violence.

“We celebrate the signing of this agreement whose objective is to train and empower women entrepreneurs in Paraguay. The COVID-19 pandemic is hitting our economies hard and this initiative is an opportunity to generate sources of employment," said Secretary General Almagro.

El documento, que responde a las necesidades que la CIM ha levantado a partir de reuniones con las Ministras y Altas Autoridades de género, Expertas del Mecanismo de Seguimiento de la Convención de Belém do Pará (MESECVI) y organizaciones de mujeres, ofrece un panorama amplio de los impactos diferenciados en las mujeres, prestando especial atención a los grupos más vulnerables. Asimismo, propone líneas para el diseño de acciones y políticas públicas basadas en el principio de igualdad y no discriminación de las mujeres, y en la necesidad de implementar medidas de acciones afirmativas.

"It is urgent that the needs of women be part of the analyses, assessments and policies that are put in place in the face of the crisis, as a requirement for adequacy, effectiveness and sustainability, and to strengthen women's leadership in times of crisis. Because we cannot allow any backsliding in the rights achieved by women in all areas,” said the Executive Secretary of the CIM, Alejandra Mora Mora.

El Ministerio de la Mujer del Gobierno de la Provincia de Córdoba (Argentina) ha elaborado este plan con 25 medidas específicas para responder al aumento de la violencia contra Mujeres y niños/as en el contexto del COVID-19, incluyendo la declaración como servicio esencial a las prestaciones de denuncia, asistencia y protección a mujeres en situación de violencia de género, una línea telefónica de emergencia 24 horas, uso de telefonía para garantizar denuncias y asistencia, permiso de circulación especial para mujeres o personas LGTTBI+ y sus hijas/os que se encuentren transitando situaciones de violencia, refugios de emergencia para mujeres en situación de violencia y sus hijos/as, albergues para varones violentos con acompañamiento psicológico y Ayudas económicas de subsistencia y asistencias alimentarias para víctimas de violencia de género, entre otras.

The study of the Northwestern University indicates that compared to “regular” recessions, which affect men’s employment more severely than women’s employment, the employment drop related to social distancing measures has a large impact on sectors with high female employment shares. In addition, closures of schools and daycare centers have massively increased childcare needs, which has a particularly large impact on working mothers.

El Ministerio de las Mujeres, Géneros y Diversidad del Gobierno de Argentina ha puesto en marcha una serie de medidas para enfrentar el COVID-19 desde un enfoque de género y diversidad, incluyendo medidas de asistencia integral ante situaciones de violencia por motivos de género, medidas específicas de articulación interinstitucional e intersectorial en situaciones de violencia, fortalecimiento de lazos comunitarios y solidarios para la prevención y asistencia de situaciones de violencia, recomendaciones y acciones en materia de cuidados durante el aislamiento social preventivo y obligatorio, medidas especiales para niñxs y adolescentes y población LGBTI+ durante el aislamiento social, medidas para promover la participación social y ciudadana a través de dispositivos virtuales y difusión de contenidos culturales para la igualdad de género.