COMMENT | Wanted: A gender-sensitive Covid-19 recovery
COMMENT | The numbers don't lie. From Unicef to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to thousands of media reporting all over the world - all data paint the same bleak picture on how the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic is disproportionately impacting the lives of women, exposing and amplifying existing inequalities faced by them, and reversing decades of progress made in women's rights internationally, regionally and locally.
Perhaps what is most worrying is how things are now so systemically damaged, it is projected to continue to deteriorate the realities faced by women even as the world gets back on its feet after this health crisis. So much for a light at the end of the tunnel.
As the government grapples for ideas on how we will be able to recover from the health, economic and politic catastrophe that we are in, the answer is actually staring us in the face: Prioritise women...
COMMENT | The numbers don't lie. From Unicef to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to thousands of media reporting all over the world - all data paint the same bleak picture on how the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic is disproportionately impacting the lives of women, exposing and amplifying existing inequalities faced by them, and reversing decades of progress made in women's rights internationally, regionally and locally.
Perhaps what is most worrying is how things are now so systemically damaged, it is projected to continue to deteriorate the realities faced by women even as the world gets back on its feet after this health crisis. So much for a light at the end of the tunnel.
As the government grapples for ideas on how to recover from the health, economic and politic catastrophe that we are in, the answer is actually staring us in the face - prioritise women.
And I do mean in every aspect of all response and recovery plans - prioritise women.
Make the entire plan one that revolves around plugging the leaks when it comes to injustices faced by women, bridging opportunity gaps encountered by them, and unlocking the potentials of women and girls as builders of not just the home, but also the economy, healthcare system, education system and government.
We do not need another gender-neutral plan where women can have "equal opportunities" that are also offered to men. No. We have been there and done that. It does not work because it does not solve the problem of disproportionate impacts.
The plan must specifically address barriers and obstacles faced specifically by women to ensure that success for them is the goal.
The spectrum of this plan must simultaneously recognise and address gender-based violence and discrimination faced by women as a major barrier to national development which comes at an economic cost to the government.
This includes child marriage, domestic violence, homophobia, sexual harassment, stalking, citizenship for children born to Malaysian women and all forms of workplace discrimination including at the recruitment process.
For so long, we as a nation have paid the heavy price of injustices against women and it has come at the expense of progress for our country. It is time that we stop wasting money on making excuses for violence and discrimination, and fix this problem.
Having a gender-sensitive (note: not gender-neutral) Covid-19 recovery plan will immediately address the pain points of more than half the population - or if you need more convincing - more than half the voters in this country.
But addressing discrimination is not enough. The plan must also revolve around unleashing the power of women as important pillars in rebuilding our nation.
Education must be prioritised for girls and their potentials in all areas, including science and technology, must be nurtured.
How will we get girls to go back to school when all of this is over? How will we ensure that they do well in school? We must plan and figure this out. At all times and in both private and public spaces, their safety and ability to thrive must be prioritised.
The role of women in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), as the backbone of our economy, must be recognised and bolstered. We must invest in women-owned and women-led enterprises. Wheels must be put into motion to ensure that their business is able to come back, better, stronger, and more resilient.
There are no parts of any sector that does not concern women. There are women in agriculture, trade, tourism, healthcare, rural and urban industries, home and foreign affairs, finance, religion, sports, environment and law - there are no areas where a woman's voice is invalid.
For this reason, an equal number of them must be included in all decision-making processes in all sectors, industries and ministries. Gone should be the days of "manels" and having all-men meetings which should be something to be really embarrassed about.
For a gender-sensitive Covid-19 recovery plan, which guarantees the advancement of the country's socio-economics and politics, women must be present, heard, and at the core of all initiatives.
When women are negatively impacted, it is amplified throughout the entire system and creates a clog in our nation’s progress. On the other hand, when women are positively prioritised, they have the capability to magnify the galvanisation of development.
As the saying goes, when you empower a woman, you empower her, her children, family, community and the whole country.
MAJIDAH HASHIM is a human rights defender. She can be contacted via Twitter at @majidahhashim.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
