{"id":156816,"date":"2021-03-12T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-12T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ict-pulse.com\/?p=156816"},"modified":"2021-03-14T08:13:14","modified_gmt":"2021-03-14T13:13:14","slug":"can-women-achieve-an-equal-future-in-a-covid-19-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ict-pulse.com\/2021\/03\/can-women-achieve-an-equal-future-in-a-covid-19-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Can women achieve an equal future in a COVID-19 world?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With International Women\u2019s Day recognised on 8 March, it is an opportune time to consider women, their role in the workplace and society, and why such a commemoration is important.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Monday, 8 March, is officially recognised as International Women\u2019s Day. With women being the bedrock of so many societies \u2013 as primary caregivers, single parents, sole income earners in so many families \u2013 especially here in the Caribbean, I am frequently prompted to ask myself, \u2018Why is such a commemoration even necessary?<\/em>\u2019.  And of course, the most compelling answer is that although women do so much with so little, and usually under very severe circumstances, their efforts and sacrifices are overlooked, and in many instances, they are subjected to many injustices in our still male-dominated world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gender equality features highly among the 2030 targets for sustainable development, as Goal 5:<\/em><\/strong> achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls<\/em><\/strong>. Six of the nine targets are listed below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere<\/p>

Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation<\/p>

Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate<\/p>

Ensure women\u2019s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision making in political, economic and public life<\/p>

Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women<\/p>

Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels<\/p>

<\/p>(Source:  United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs<\/a>)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Across Caribbean countries, and more specifically legislatively, there is gender equality. Women can own property; child, early and forced marriage along with female genital mutilation are not condoned; and matters related to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights are addressed \u2013 to some degree. However, there are still societal attitudes and mores to which Caribbean girls and women are still subject that emphasise the need for our countries to not rest on their laurels, pat themselves on the back that they are not as bad as \u2018other countries\u2019, and more fully recognise the contribution women make to our societies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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COVID-19 and the slip into poverty<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For 2021, the theme for International Women\u2019s Day is \u201cWomen in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world<\/em>\u201d. In so many of our households, where women are primary caregivers, single parents, sole income earners, and quite frequently all three, COVID-19 has been devastating. In an recent interview on CNN with Melinda Gates, of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, she highlighted a United Nations statistic that an estimated 47 million women worldwide have been driven out of the workforce due to COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two reasons were identified. First, women tend to be the primary (and unpaid) caregivers in their families, and with children being out of schools due to the pandemic, women have been the ones with childcare and tutoring responsibilities. Second, women, perhaps more than men, tend to work in some of the more economically fragile sectors, such as tourism and hospitality, as well as in some of the more informal jobs, which would include domestic helpers and office attendants, that since about March 2020 have adversely affected by the pandemic. Moreover, and with these women no longer in the workforce, they, and their families<\/em><\/strong>, have fallen into poverty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n