No Recovery without Inclusion
As countries are set to implement recovery strategies post a global pandemic, let us not forget to place sustainability at the centre of our strategies.
The Covid19 pandemic introduced unprecedented challenges which brought about a need for a new way of looking at actions for promoting and protecting human rights. Its ramifications tested nations across the globe, governments, private sector, and civil society. It set back human rights gains and progress towards the SDGs as the focus turned towards a fight for survival. The multi-faceted effects of the pandemic have been and will continue to be felt in our immediate communities and, specifically, by women and children. As a woman leader, I witnessed how women were unequally stretched, performing multiple roles of caretaker, homemaker and an anchor whilst individually dealing with a dynamic and unknown situation.
Whilst conclusive data about the total impact on women is difficult to obtain, indicators show that women across the globe are being disproportionately affected. This is because they earn less, save less, hold less secure jobs, are more likely to be employed in the informal sector (UN, 2020). This is evident in everyday practices and span across health, education, livelihoods and the economy.
To make matters worse, forecasts show that recovery will not be immediate. The International Monetary Fund has warned of drastically slower growth through 2021 and estimated an increase of between 400–600 million more people in poverty across the globe (University, 2020). These forecasts paint a picture that inequalities will be exacerbated, impacting the poorest, most vulnerable, and highly indebted countries. Worldwide crises in hunger (SDG2) and poverty (SDG1), along with health (SDG3), are imminent.
A simple example can be seen in education (SDG4). When affluent communities could continue with online learning during the lockdown periods, many of the poor communities could not continue with schooling due to lack of connectivity. This has inherently introduced a gap in education, effects of which will be experienced in the future.
Similarly, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the engines of low-income communities’ economies (SDG8), have been highly affected, with many business failures. This also increases the burden on the social system. Excluded communities with little or no savings have suffered the most as they could not buffer the economic shock of lockdowns. Losses of employment and livelihoods put a further strain on families.
Gender parity (SDG5) initiatives have also suffered as focus had moved from them to the more pressing priorities of the health emergency. It is estimated that 47 million women and girls will be pushed into poverty because of COVID-19 (Women, 2020). Women and girls will continue to face the pressures of gender inequality unless something is done to address the problem differently. Women are the backbone of communities, often working in MSMEs.
Prioritizing diversity is important to getting societies back to some form of new normality. It is obvious that all recovery endeavors need to be quick and intentional. They need to be centered around human rights gains and inclusion, ensuring that the gap is not widened and also addressing the fundamental cracks in our society. The recovery of women and their families should be central to a rethink of how recovery strategies need to be deployed. In my next article, I will discuss what can be done and how it should be done.
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