Women and Girls

Women and girls are heavily affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Women tend to have the most precarious and less well-paid jobs, putting them more at risk of income loss and economic hardship. Women are on the frontline as they represent 70% of the health and social workforce. Quarantine measures imposed as a response to the pandemic are exacerbating women’s and girls’ caretaking responsibilities due to traditional gender roles. Confinement also puts women and girls at heightened risk of domestic and sexual violence, including early and unintended pregnancy and early and forced marriage, with little or no access to essential protection services and social networks.

Challenges with accessing sexual and reproductive health services – including contraception, safe abortion, maternal healthcare and HIV medications – and the scaling down of some health services, including community-based services, further exacerbate the risks to girls’ and women’s health and lives. SRHR services are essential, emergency and potentially life-saving services and must continue to be provided during the crisis.

Authorities must recognise that the outbreak affects women and girls disproportionately and that if adequate measures are not taken, there is a serious risk of losing the progress made over women’s and girls’ rights. All responses to the crisis must adopt an intersectional and gender-sensitive response to the crisis and women and girls must be part of all decision-making processes to ensure their perspectives are heard and needs are met.

Amnesty International

• 2 June 2020 Blog: Ireland: “There is no safety net” – what lockdown is like for sex workers
• 2 June 2020 Joint press release: Americas: Authorities must protect women who engage in sex work from the impact of COVID-19

Center for Reproductive Rights

End FGM European Network

EuroMed Rights

• 02 June 2020 TUNISIA: PANDEMIC INCREASES VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
• 30 April 2020 NO LOCKDOWN FOR VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN: WHAT MEASURES ARE BEING TAKEN?

EurAc

• 27 May 2020 – EurAc EN – Press release: COVID-19 in the Great Lakes region: leaving no one behind
• 27 May 2020 – EurAc FR – Press release: La riposte face au COVID-19 dans la région des Grands Lacs ne doit laisser personne pour compte
• 27 May 2020 – EurAc Report EN only: The COVID-19 response should leave no one behind: the pandemic’s implications in the Great Lakes region 

FIDH

• 22 April 2020 (Joint Statement) European governments must ensure safe and timely access to abortion care during the COVID-19 pandemic

International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)

• 23 April 2020 Gender Based Violence during the COVID-19 Pandemic and economic, social and cultural rights
• 14 April 2020 Amid COVID-19 crisis, Polish parliament must reject regressive proposals on sexual and reproductive rights
• 9 April 2020 European governments must ensure safe and timely access to abortion care during the COVID-19 pandemic
• 7 April 2020 South Africa: authorities must work urgently to curb gender-based violence under lockdown
• 6 April 2020 State measures to address COVID-19 must be gender responsive

IPPF European Network

HRW

• 15 April 2020 How girls’ education and safety will be harmed by the covid response: And the steps African governments can and must take to mitigate it

Plan International