‘Consider women, girls in Covid-19 strategies’
AFRICAN First Ladies have implored governments to take into account the needs of women and girls for effective response to Covid-19.
A spike in gender-based violence (GBV) cases has become a cause for concern since most countries went into lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus.
The matter was tabled at a high-level webinar last week, which was organised by the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) in collaboration with Global Fund.
The webinar ran under the theme “The health and social-economic impacts of Covid19 on achieving universal health coverage”.
Chairperson of OAFLAD, First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, noted the increase in sexual and gender-based violence in the country.
“An increase in sexual and gender-based violence has been recorded in the country since the advent of Covid-19, with statistics showing a 70 percent increase in GBV reports compared to pre-Covid-19 lockdown trends,” Amai Mnangagwa said.
Botswana First Lady Neo Jane Masisi said the restrictions meant to combat the novel virus had spawned a shadow pandemic, which has disproportionately affected girls and women.
She said the difficult economic environment that had been created by lockdowns had undercut the economic independence of women and made them dependent on their abusers, with whom they have to spend most of their time with owing to the obtaining circumstances.
“It is imperative that we draw lessons from the pandemics that hit the continent before. Mistakes made are valuable lessons in the Covid-19 response. Our continent must ensure the protection of women and girls right from the beginning.
“Women and girls must be part of the response plans from development to delivery of services. It is important that Africa adopts the PPR approach (Prevention, Protection and Response) as advocated for by the UN. We need, however, to add an ‘S’, which represents Support and an ‘R’ for Research,” Mrs Masisi said.
Namibia’s First Lady Mrs Monica Geingos said it was important to continuously speak hope while also strengthening institutions providing services to combat the pandemic.
“Institutions also need the strengthening and resilience of people because at the end of the day, it is healthcare workers and police officers who are facing the risks. The moment we start to speak as if we are panicked, scared and gloomy they internalise that.
“We recently had a brutal rape case where a very experienced police officer broke down; they have been dealing with this for 25 years. What they are dealing with is not new but they are dealing with additional pressures,” Mrs Geingos said.
Kenya Ambassador to Ethiopia, Catherine Wangi, said governments ought to put in place measures that protect victims’ rights, while there should be community centres to assist women and girls.
She also believes that there has to be GBV awareness in the judiciary and police.
According to the United Nations Development Programme, GBV increases during every type of emergency, whether economic crises, conflict or disease outbreaks.