Strategic inter-parliamentary dialogues: COVID-19 and gender-responsive recovery
This series of online meetings brought together members of parliament (MPs) from around the world to discuss the gendered impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and strategies to ensure a gender-responsive recovery. The sessions featured panels of subject experts and was moderated to facilitate peer-to-peer exchanges among MPs.
The impacts of crises are never gender neutral, and the COVID-19 crisis is no exception. Beyond the public health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a full-fledged economic and social crisis. Rampant inequalities have once again been revealed and further exacerbated. The economic and social fallouts are felt hard by women and girls as they are more vulnerable in the hard-hit economic sectors. Lockdown measures and economic pressure have further amplified the violence against women and girls—the shadow pandemic.
Without coordinated action to mitigate the gendered impacts of COVID-19, there is a risk that the fragile gender equality gains achieved since the Beijing Platform for Action was adopted over 25 years ago will be lost. Parliaments are in a unique position to contribute to the political will to achieve gender-responsive legislation, provide oversight of government actions and resource allocation, as well as to mobilize society in its gender-responsive recovery.
Event reports
Date and time
End: 21 April 2021, 15:00 UTC