Women and COVID-19: Five things governments can do now

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Governments the world over are struggling to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. While some voices have flagged the impacts on women, gender concerns are not yet shaping the decisions that mainly male leaders are making. At the same time, many of the impacts of COVID-19 are hitting women hardest. In this article, UN Women’s Deputy Executive Director Anita Bhatia explains why women are impacted most by COVID-19 and provides five actions governments can take to address…

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Media, remember gender in your COVID-19 coverage

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Media always have a strong obligation to offer the public professionally produced content and reliable information. Following the current global crisis caused by the Corona virus, Emma Boberg Lygnerud, IMS Global Response Department Gender Adviser, encourages media to make it more of a priority to provide a diverse, balanced and gender sensitive coverage. This article addresses coverage dilemmas arising due to the pandemic and provides recommendations for journalists on how to strengthen gender sensitivity in…

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Peace Points: COVID-19, conflict and the future

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In this video, Dan Smith, SIPRI’s Director, comments on the impact of COVID-19 on war-torn countries and what the virus tells us about the long term. Watch video

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If Covid-19 is not beaten in Africa it will return to haunt us all

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In this opinion piece, Ethiopia’s prime minister Abiy Ahmed argues that only a global victory can end this pandemic, not a temporary rich countries’ win. Read more

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How to stop Coronavirus Lockdown Leading to an Upsurge in Violence Against Women

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In this blog post, Mwanahamisi Singano argues that with everyone locked down due to Covid-19, gender-based violence could rise to unprecedented levels, because homes are often not a safe place for women. She points out necessary measures to be taken to minimise this risk. Read more

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COVID-19: Toward authentic security rooted in nonviolence

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Written by Marie Dennis, this reflection argues that perhaps this pandemic will help us to recognize the critical need for a transformative shift away from violence in our values and priorities. She mentiones a few reasons that show that such a shift is urgent. Read more

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Cooperation and Corona

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Like other institutions, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has been affected by the corona virus. Staff and meetings have been reduced, and issues that seemed like political and operational priorities are now less important than the crisis at hand. Since health is not on the OSCE’s agenda, it could be argued that the Organization will just have to sit this crisis out, keep basic services running (like support for field operations),…

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How coronavirus is accelerating a new approach to international cooperation

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Despite these turbulent times, there is potentially a positive outcome for the future of development assistance. The unprecedented systemic challenges posed by the coronavirus crisis, and the responses we have already seen, will fast-track the transformation of an old paradigm of donor–recipient aid relations towards a model of international cooperation between all countries. This transformation, which has been advocated by many commentators, was already underway pre-virus. Our research on Exit from aid and Moving away…

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The Coronavirus Is a Disaster for Feminism: Pandemics affect men and women differently

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When people try to be cheerful about social distancing and working from home, noting that William Shakespeare and Isaac Newton did some of their best work while England was ravaged by the plague, there is an obvious response: Neither of them had child-care responsibilities. This article in the Atlantic describes the impact of the pandemic on gender equality, focusing on economic considerations. Read more

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Coronavirus and aid: What we’re watching

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The New Humanitarian is collecting updates about how the coronavirus is hitting aid responses in vulnerable communities – from refugee camps and disaster displacement sites, to border crossings and conflict zones. The UN launched an unprecedented global appeal on 25 March, calling for $2 billion in new funds to tackle coronavirus in countries with critical humanitarian needs. The new appeal warns donors against diverting money from other relief projects – including in 25 countries that…

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