In Focus: Gender equality matters in COVID-19 response

Maternity nurses at the Philippe Maguilen Senghor hospital center distribute fabric masks provided by UN Women. Photo credit: Khadidiatou Ndiaye / UN Women WCARO

UN Women is working to provide support to all women on the front lines of the fight against this pandemic; promoting flexible working arrangements for women with a burden of care; and prioritizing services to prevent gender-based domestic violence. Now you, too, can help them.

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The COVID-19 pandemic is not just a health issue. It is a profound shock to our societies and economies, and women are at the heart of care and response efforts underway.

As front-line responders, health professionals, community volunteers, transport and logistics managers, scientists and more, women are making critical contributions to address the outbreak every day.

The majority of caregivers, at home and in our communities, are also women.

Additionally, they are at increased risk of infection and loss of livelihood, and existing trends point to less access to sexual and reproductive health and rise in domestic violence during crisis.

UN Women is bringing up-to-date information and analysis on how and why gender matters in COVID-19 response.

For more information on UN Women's work around the world, visit the regional sites: Arab States | Asia Pacific | Europe & Central Asia

Videos

The leaders of the United Nations are #WithHer. Are you?

Four key actions to include women’s needs in the COVID-19 response

Watch more on our COVID-19 and gender equality playlist

What our leaders are saying

Un Secretary-General Antonio Guterres — "Put women and girls at the centre of efforts to recover from COVID-19"

UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka speaks, — Violence against women and girls: the shadow pandemic

More messages from our leaders ►

News and stories

Photo: UN Women/Khadidiatou Ndiaye — COVID-19 and the link to Violence Against Women and Girls

Women and members of ELECAM posing for a family photo. Photo credit: Franck/ELECAM — UN Women Cameroon supports the voter’s registration campaign and the distribution of COVID 19 prevention kits to women voters

Putting Central African women at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19

A woman doctor tends to a young woman. Photo: UN Women/Mohammad Rakibul Hasan — COVID-19 and gender: What do we know; what do we need to know?

Kinshasa: 800 women receive resilience kits to cope with Covid-19

COVID-19 response: UN Women puts women farmers in Senegal at the heart of the solution

Data and infographics

COVID-19: emerging gender data
The COVID-19 pandemic is causing untold human suffering and is likely to heighten gender-based inequalities around the world. UN Women is working with partners to bridge the gender data gap and deliver a more accurate picture of the gender dimension to the response so that it can be more effective for women and girls. For gender-related data on COVID-19 visit this page.

The shadow pandemic - violence against women and girls and COVID-19
In times of crisis, violence against women and girls is likely to increase as security, health, and money worries heighten tensions and strains are accentuated by cramped and confined living conditions.