UN Women's Executive Director sees a path to gender equality in spite of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic is threatening years of gender equality progress. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 2020 Reportfound that female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage are on the rise. Women are also doing more unpaid labor than ever, and access to women’s health care is becoming more limited. 

Rather than give up now, leaders see the crisis as an opportunity for countries to step up their efforts to create a more equitable world for women and girls.

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, executive directorof UN Women, envisions a path forward despite the new set of challenges presented by the pandemic. She spoke to Global Citizen via email about how the latest SDG report’s findings can guide COVID-19 response and future initiatives to achieve gender equality by 2030.

Mlambo-Ngcuka stressed the importance of female leadership, making sexual and reproductive health essential everywhere, addressing the increased risks of harmful practices, rebalancing household responsbilities, and more.

Click here to read the full article published by Global Citizen on 11 August 2020.