In her op-ed “Women and Girls should not pay the bill of the pandemic”, covered by media worldwide, our Executive Director, Magdalena Sepúlveda describes how women have been - again - the first victims of the social and economic crisis caused by the pandemic, as well as the possible way out for a fairer and sustainable future.

In addition to being overrepresented in sectors most impacted by crises, such as childcare, education or tourism, women are also far more numerous in the informal sector, with precarious and underpaid jobs as well as little – if any - access to social protection.

Accounting for 88% of personal care workers and 69% of health professionals, women have also been hit harder by the virus. As women bear the greatest burden of domestic and care work, the pandemic has only aggravated that situation, imperilling further women’s access to labour, in addition to women and girls greater exposure to gender-based violence and abuse.

We shall not overcome this additional crisis without more redistributive public policies, from universal access to health care, water and sanitation, education, and social protection, based on economic justice. In this framework, recognizing, reducing and redistributing domestic and care work as well as investing is essential to advancing gender equality.

While some developing countries have chosen to maintain devastating fiscal austerity measures, we must, on the very contrary, invest in quality public services.

A sustainable economic recovery is possible and can be financed, with political will and courage to enforce new fiscal policies that effectively tackle tax avoidance, ensure financial and fiscal transparency and make the powerful economic elites finally pay their fair share of taxes.

This crisis is impacting us all, but not in the same way.  Among the worse losers are women and girls living in poverty and those who were just one crisis away of falling into poverty. One of the silver linings of this appalling pandemic has been that it has reminded us all, and even conservative governments—including the one in my home country, Chile—that public services are precious. Not only do they save lives, but they also keep us healthy and ensure the future of our children. It is urgent to maintain sufficient resources in States to rebuild societies and economies that are not only more prosperous and resilient, but also more equitable.

Magdalena Sepúlveda is the Executive Director of Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as well as a member of the Independent Commission on International Corporate Tax Reform (ICRICT). From 2008 to 2014 she was the United Nations’ Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights.

• Read the full op-ed in several media:  

CommonDreams Women and Girls should not pay the bill of the pandemic

USA (Spanish speaking La Opinion),

Colombia (Las dos Orillas)

Ecuador (El Universal)

Brasil (Folha de Sao Paulo)

Dominican Republic (El dinero)

Italy (In Genere)

• Read previous op-ed on relatic topic  “Be a feminist, demand that the multinationals pay their taxes!”