It has been more than three months since Isaac Mutua, a Kenyan working in Durban, South Africa, sent money home to his family back in Kenya. Mutua, a renowned chef, lost his job after his employer closed down the restaurant where he worked following the COVID-19 lockdown measures in South Africa starting on 24 March.
Since 2015, Mutua has been sending $300 monthly to Nduta, his wife based in Kitengela, outside of Nairobi. His remittances have been their sole source...
COVID-19
Healthcare is being hit hard by the pandemic. COVID-19 has disrupted services for the prevention and treatment of noncommunicable diseases, could disrupt essential interventions for malaria, and has put an enormous amount of pressure on health systems.
But, as we’ve seen with education and work, the pandemic could have an even greater, disproportionate impact on healthcare for women and girls, specifically maternal, reproductive, and contraceptive care.
Here’s why.
Previous health crises impacts on women and girls’ health
Prior to COVID-19 in 2017, over...
Even before COVID-19 hit, 90% of children in low-income countries could not read and understand a simple story when they reached their 10th birthday. In Nigeria, three-quarters of primary teachers cannot pass a fourth grade test. The onset of COVID-19 is exacerbating the global learning crisis.
At its peak, COVID-19 pushed 1.6 billion children out of school. By October, schools in 92 countries will remain closed. These months of lost learning disproportionately affect the poorest and the most marginalised. In...
September saw shocking new reports and data on COVID-19’s impact on women and girls and on global wages. But, there was also an emphasis on how young African innovators are successfully creating home-grown solutions to tackle the pandemic in their communities, as well as new surveys that show massive support for global cooperation and vaccine equity during COVID-19.
Governments failing to protect women during the pandemic
Only one in eight countries have measures to specifically protect women from the impacts of...
To ensure that the world responds effectively to COVID-19 and the challenges it has presented, world leaders, companies, and individuals need to come together in a single response effort — a global pandemic of this magnitude demands a global response.
Finding an effective vaccine is a key part of a global response plan. But that is only half the battle.
After an effective vaccine for COVID-19 becomes available, world leaders must come together to ensure there is equitable access to a...
The UN General Assembly is bringing together world leaders this week, all with the hope of making the world a better place for everyone, no matter where they are from.
At this year’s UNGA, one topic is overshadowing events and speeches: COVID-19. The global pandemic has highlighted challenges and inequalities around the world, one of which is gender inequality. The pandemic’s effects could lead to disproportionate impacts on women’s work, girls’ education, and much more.
That’s why we’re highlighting nine female...
In her first annual address to the European Parliament, President Ursula von der Leyen accomplished something few of her predecessors have managed to achieve: she was crystal clear. No lofty rhetoric. No mild-mannered circles around delicate topics.
On a list of issues ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic response, to dealing with China, to fighting racism in Europe, President von der Leyen sent a strong, blunt and consistent message – the global system is breaking down, and we are...
Megan Gieske is a storyteller and photographer based in Cape Town, South Africa.
Ntombi Mbinda gestures around the kitchen in her home; it’s a room only of women. One woman bends over a pot, stirring the day’s rice. Another cuts vegetables, their headwraps shine brilliantly in the slanting light of the afternoon sun.
The women — Theodora, Lorna, Phindiwe, Nobuntu, and Noxolo — arrive every weekday at 8:30am to begin cooking from Ntombi’s home. Outside the kitchen, a garden Ntombi planted...
After the COVID-19 pandemic started, we launched our ONE World campaign, calling for the world to come together to create one global response to the pandemic, as a crisis of this scale requires a global response.
Of course, in times of crisis, strong leadership is of the utmost importance. COVID-19 is a global crisis that requires a strong, coordinated global response from leaders. Unfortunately, the world hasn’t seen many global leaders step up in the appropriate way.
ONE CEO Gayle Smith,...
The COVID-19 pandemic is threatening to undo years of progress on global education. Since the pandemic started, school closures have affected up to 91% of enrolled learners, or 1.6 billion children. Here is a look at how countries’ policies on school closures evolved over the past six months.
COVID-19 quickly transformed from a localized epidemic to a global pandemic with far-reaching consequences across sectors
6 months ago, when COVID-19 was still just a localized epidemic, only two countries had restrictions on...