Fighting the shadow pandemic of violence against women and children during COVID19

Date: Thursday, May 21, 2020

Alongside health impacts, the global COVID19 pandemic has brought a loss of liberties. Restrictions in movement have affected people’s jobs and livelihoods. Despite the many hardships being faced, freedom from violence cannot,  under any circumstance,  be surrendered – the right to live free from violence is a basic human right. Yet the most vulnerable members of society including children, women, persons with disabilities, the elderly – are suffering during...

Female-Headed households in South Sudan bear the brunt of Covid-19 as livelihoods shrink

Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Margret Raman, 38, a single mother of five, two boys and three girls, is one of the several women in Yambio, South Sudan who is bearing the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Since the announcement of Covid-19, our lives have never been the same. Since we received business and financial management skills from UN Women, our businesses have been growing only to be disturbed by Covid-19."

Improving livelihoods, remaining resilient in the face of Covid-19

Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Everywhere in South Sudan, Covid-19 has become a new song, challenging not only the health system, but also threatening livelihoods of the already vulnerable populations. As the economy is crumbling, women groups are failing to save and invest. Anika Women group is one groups that is trying some innovative ways to improve livelihoods of its members, and to remain resilient in the face of the Covid-19 risks.

Government of Liberia and the Spotlight Initiative launch community engagement campaign to prevent violence against women and girls

Date: Friday, May 15, 2020

As part of its continuous efforts to eliminate violence against women and girls in Liberia, the Spotlight Initiative is supporting the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Council of Chiefs and Elders to launch a campaign for monitoring the implementation of the Ganta Declaration which calls for a one-year suspension of all Sande society activities; and to raise awareness among communities on measures to prevent the spread of corona virus and respond to sexual and gender based violence

Meeting of African Ministers in charge of Gender and Women’s Affairs on “COVID-19 Response and Recovery” - a gendered framework

Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2020

UN Women and the African Union in partnership with the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) will host the inaugural meeting of African Ministers for Gender and Women’s Affairs, on 12 May 2020 under the theme “COVID-19 Response and Recovery” - a gendered framework.”

Take five: 'increased domestic violence cases continue to leave me puzzled as to why people fail to live with peacefully with their families'

Date: Monday, May 11, 2020

Young men can also assist with house chores such as cooking, cleaning, helping children to learn, watching educative programs together, playing and praying together to lessen domestic burdens on women. “

UN Women in Mozambique and protection authorities monitor gender-based violence amid COVID-19 confinement measures

Date: Friday, May 8, 2020

UN Women in Mozambique proposed for protection authorities to set up a multi-sectoral mechanism to monitor GBV (gender-based violence) in the context of COVID19. The agency suggested the capitalization of the Integrated Assistance Mechanism, which is a combination of services provided by the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Action, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Justice, to include Civil Society Organizations and UN technical support during COVID19 pandemic.

Protection of Women and Girls with Disabilities during COVID-19: A Priority!

Date: Friday, May 8, 2020

Despite the wide adoption of international, regional, and national instruments guaranteeing the rights of women and girls with disabilities, significant gaps remain in their implementation, highlights the UN Women Study on 'Mapping of Discrimination Faced by Women with Disabilities in East & Southern Africa Region'.

Increasing resilience of vulnerable women to the socio-economic impact of COVID19 crisis in Rwanda

Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Ishimwe Fabiola is among hundreds of women tailors across Rwanda who are navigating this time of economic uncertainty by producing re-usable protective cloth masks for the public, while also strengthening their income-generating skills hence reducing their vulnerability to the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

Unpaid Care Work Burden in the COVID-19 crisis

Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Corona Virus Disease -19 (COVID-19) has increased the demand for unpaid care and domestic work with calls by various actors in Tanzania for families to equally share home responsibility.

I am Generation Equality: Fatma Ahmed a Generation Equality Champion and Founder of the Girls’ Inclusion in Sports Campaign based in Zanzibar.

Date: Tuesday, May 5, 2020

As a young woman living on the Island of Zanzibar, gender equality is an issue of interest in my lifetime. It’s about making sure that the views and contributions by women and girls are valued and used to further develop our social and cultural fabric; alongside the economic and political growth of Zanzibar.

In The Words Of Sylvia Karungi: "...Social distancing has been there for people with disabilities."

Date: Monday, May 4, 2020

I have limited access to information related to COVID-19. Information regarding COVID19 has not been put into braille form. Most information materials on the preventive measures of COVID are printed and published in newspapers.  With my condition, I cannot read posters or newspapers. I only listen to radio and television stations for information.

UN Women supports LNP to conduct awareness campaigns on COVID19 and SGBV in Liberia

Date: Monday, May 4, 2020

In an effort to combat sexual and gender based violence and implications of the corona virus pandemic, UN Women supported the Liberia National Police to conduct awareness campaigns in four counties in Liberia to inform and educate the public on how to prevent and respond to sexual and gender based violence including domestic violence.

Gender Equality Matters in COVID – 19 Response!

Date: Thursday, April 30, 2020

COVID-19 is affecting everyone, especially women. African governments have restricted mobility and are enforcing social distancing. These steps, along with good hygiene, are vital to containing and preventing the further spread of the virus. But these steps are not equally available to all people and will have different impacts for many whose livelihoods are being disrupted

Zambia hosts the first steering committee meeting of the IBSA fund on ending child marriage

Date: Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Malawi and Zambia have a high prevalence of child marriage. Zambia has one of the highest child marriage rates in the world with 31% of women aged 20-24 years married by the age of 18.  In Malawi, approximately 1 in 2 girls married by the age of 18 . One of the main challenges in ending child marriage is traditional and ingrained attitudes that makes the practice accepted across the society, while poverty is another major contributor behind child marriage.

Expert’s Take: ‘...isolation that is one consequence of social distancing is likely to contribute to heightened risk of Gender-based violence (GBV)’.

Date: Thursday, April 23, 2020

Sadiq Syed, Regional Program Manager for Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAW/G) with the UN Women East and Southern Africa. He brings 25 years’ experience working on EVAW and specializes in developing VAW prevention and response, specifically in establishing 24x7 hotlines, one stop centres, shelters and multi-sectoral responses.   Importance of Access to 24x7 Hotlines, Chat, SMS and online Counselling Services in the wake of COVID 19 With the onset of Covid-19...

The impact of COVID-19 on women: Lucie Gbakoyoro, Ivorian female entrepreneur

Date: Thursday, April 23, 2020

Lucie Gbakayoro, 61, works in agribusiness in Côte d'Ivoire. She runs a small cassava processing company and is also president of the Amougnan cooperative in the Guémon region (west of Côte d'Ivoire), which brings together around a hundred members, mostly women. She tells UN Women about the impact of Covid-19 on her business and her life.

HeForShe launches #HeForSheAtHome campaign

Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2020

In providing useful tools and tips, the #HeForSheAtHome campaign seeks to inspire men to help balance the burden in their households. Whether its learning to use that new vacuum cleaner, or the game you play when washing the dishes, we want to hear your stories. In sharing these stories of positive male role models from all over the world, we hope to inspire many more to do their fair share.

UN Women Cameroon supports the voter’s registration campaign and the distribution of COVID 19 prevention kits to women voters

Date: Friday, April 17, 2020

The voter registration campaign kicked off in Yaounde and Douala in the context of the COVID 19 global health crisis, 15-16-17 April 2020. As part of the cooperation between Election Cameroon (ELECAM) and UN WOMEN Cameroon, a massive campaign to promote women registration on the electoral lists was launched on April 15th, 2020 in Yaounde and continued in Douala on 16 and 17 April 2020.

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

Date: Friday, April 10, 2020

On 14 March, the Central African Republic announced its first case of COVID-19 and as of 8 April, there were 11 cases of contamination with COVID-19 including 45% women and 55% men. The coronavirus pandemic in the Central African Republic, as elsewhere in the world, is undermining already weakened social, health, economic and political systems.