On May 6, 2020, 38 Ministers issued a joint statement on behalf of 59 governments globally calling for protecting sexual and reproductive health and rights and promoting gender-responsiveness in the current Covid-19 pandemic.
General lockdowns globally not only have impacts on economies, but also on girls and women’s fundamental rights. As reported by UN Women in its Policy Brief on the impacts of Covid-19 on women, the pandemic’s consequences are exacerbated for girls and women, and notably regarding their right to health.
COVID-19 adverse impacts on women’s health
First, women are more at risk due to the occupational sex-segregation. Globally, women account for 70% of the health workforce and are more likely to be front-line health workers such as nurses, midwives, and community health workers. In addition, personal protective equipment such as masks and gowns being designed for men, women lack adequately sized equipment, exposing them even further to contamination.
Second, lockdown has dramatically disrupted access to family planning, jeopardizing girls and women’s sexual and reproductive health. Supply chain disruptions are limiting availability of contraceptives in many places. According to UNFPA, 47 million of girls and women in low and middle-income countries are projected to be prevented from using modern contraceptives if major disruption to health services continues for 6 months.
Interrupted access to sexual and reproductive health services may result in increased rates of teenage and unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and maternal mortality and morbidity.
Third, gender-based violence is increasingly globally as girls and women are trapped at home with their abusers. Emergency calls for domestic violence since lockdown started have increased by 25% in Argentina, 30% in Cyprus and 33% in Singapore. In France, reports have increased by 30%.
Fourth, the pandemic has consequences on women’s mental health as they are facing increase caregiving responsibilities and less economic security (due to wage gap, less secure job and employment in the informal sector). Women working from home often sacrifice their work to home-school children and do household chores (see the example of women academics). This phenomenon is even exacerbated in cases of women led single parent families.
This alarming situation have prompted some governments to call for actions.
States’ call for women’s rights safeguard
In the joint statement, 59 States (8 from Africa and the Middle East, 8 from America, 2 from Asia, 37 from Europe, and 4 from Oceania) acknowledge that the pandemic worsens existing inequalities, and risks precluding the realisation of girls and women’s human rights.
Hence, calling for actions to tackle the aforementioned challenges, States assert that “participation, protection and potential of all women and girls must be at the center of response efforts”. Emergency responses must apply to all girls and women, including refugees, migrants and internally displaced. States recognise the essential character of sexual health services and claim that funding of such services should remain a priority while calling on all governments to ensure full and unimpeded access to them.
Finally, States declare supporting the active participation and leadership of girls and women at all levels of decision-making.
While this call is a positive step, adequate resources must urgently be allocated in order for these goals to become a reality for every girl and woman.
Measures not taken yesterday need to be taken now
When looking closely to the list of signatories, it is noteworthy to point out that among States from Europe which are also parties to the Council of Europe, 9 out of 37 (Armenia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and United Kingdom) have not ratified the Istanbul Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence entered into force in 2014, requiring States inter alia, to allocate appropriate resources to prevent and combat all forms of violence (Article 8).
In addition, 9 signatories States (Estonia, Fiji, Guinea, Japan, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Madagascar and Tuvalu) have not ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women allowing its treaty body to receive and consider communications by alleged victims.
Lockdown has not created new risks for girls and women, but has aggravated situations for which States, including signatories, have been urged by NGOs and international human rights bodies to take actions for years.
In its 2018 concluding observations on the situation in Australia, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (the Committee) expressed its concerns about budget cuts in services that focus on women’s rights, as well as the fact that shelters for homeless persons, including men, were used as shelters for victims of violence.
The same year, the Committee shared its concerns about the high number of women suffering from depression, especially among migrants, and the insufficient resources allocated to shelters for victims of violence in Luxembourg, the narrow focus on the health of married and pregnant women in Korea’s policies on sexual and reproductive health, and the limited access to reproductive health services, in particular for girls and women with disabilities in Mexico. In 2019, assessing the situation in Cabo Verde, the Committee expressed its concerns about the absence of shelters for victims of violence, the discontinuation of the free emergency helpline, and the lack of access to sexual and reproductive health services for rural women.
Hence, it is to be hoped that, this time, States are truly acknowledging the urgency of the situation and will promptly allocate all necessary resources to the fulfilment of women’s health and will use a gender lens in designing recovery policies. Otherwise, their good words will soon become dead letter.