Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona, GI-ESCR’s Executive Director, addressed today the 2020 Human Rights Council Social Forum on the topic of Feminization of poverty, unpaid care work and women’s empowerment. She explained that if COVID-19 has pushed even more people – and primarily women - into poverty, it has also shown that robustly funded public services with an explicit gender approach are vital political choices to be made now.

Magdalena first explained how the pandemic has turned women into forefront victims and how it has been widening gender inequalities, putting the gains that they painstakingly fought for over decades under threat.

It is evident that the pandemic impacts us all, but not in the same way. It is not only pushing more and more people into poverty, but also disproportionately affecting people who have been systematically discriminated against along gender, class, race, and sexual orientation.

Particularly worrisome is the situation of women and girls worldwide.

She then shed light on the opportunities that the current context is opening to.

“One of the silver lining of this terrible pandemic is the support for public services it has generated”.

Magdalena Sepúlveda called for the implementation of progressive reforms that could ultimately reduce inequalities and the gender gap.

"Robustly funded public services are essential for eliminating the unequal division of unpaid care work between women and men, in addition to contributing positively to the quality of care provided".

“Policy choices to raise and redistribute income must have an explicit gender approach”.

• Read Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona’s full declaration.

• Follow Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona on Twitter @Magda_Sepul

The 2020 Human Rights Council Social Forum is dedicated to the topic “Good Practices, Success Stories, Lessons Learned and Current Challenges in Combating Poverty and Inequalities”.  

The Social Forum is an annual meeting convened by the Human Rights Council. It is defined as a unique space for open and interactive dialogue between civil society actors, representatives of Member States, and intergovernmental organizations, on a theme chosen by the Council each year.

See more information on the 2020 Human Rights Council Social Forum.