THE WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY AGENDA IN THE CONTEXT OF COVID-19 IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA

Since COVID-19 is a new disease for which no vaccine or cure is known to date, the initial response focuses on preventing its spread through containment, hygiene and social distancing. Unfortunately, these measures are difficult to apply in the context of poverty, conflict, and weak social protection systems. While most of the analyses made so far are devoted to the economic impact of the pandemic, it is nevertheless necessary to reflect also on the impact of the pandemic on peace and the future of the security situation both during the crisis and the post crisis period. The purpose of this note is thus to make proposals which constitute avenues for reflection which will allow the various actors to proactively adopt approaches sensitive to gender and conflict and making it possible to combine the fight against COVID-19 and the fight for peace.