Why investing in women and girls matters
Teenage pregnancies have increased exponentially during the period that the corona virus disease has struck. In Kenya for example, thousands of school girls have become pregnant since the schools were closed due to the pandemic. This is a result of a lack of basic needs like sanitary towels and food. Girls from poor backgrounds have been forced to engage in sex in exchange for these items.
There is an urgent call for the society and governments of African nations to invest in girls, and for them to be seen as valuable assets and not liabilities. This can be done through the engagement of women and girls in activities like mobilization of the community in hand washing, mask distribution and creating awareness of the importance of following Covid-19 protection measures. In doing so, they will earn something that will sustain their needs and at the same time keep them busy so that they will not get involved in harmful activities leading to pregnancies or contracting STD’s or HIV/Aids. Controlling early pregnancies will save the nation from unplanned expenditures on expectant young mothers and babies, thus saving the economy to fight the coronavirus.
There has been an increase in cases of HIV/AIDS infections among women and girls during this period of fighting the corona virus pandemic. In Kenya over half a million young girls have been infected by HIV virus. It is very important to invest in women and girls now more than ever so that Kenya can direct the resources on the new corona virus which is affecting nearly the whole world.
Women are care givers in many sectors of the medical field. Many are nurses and doctors. Empowering them will be of importance in fighting corona and future pandemics. The nations should pay attention to saving lives by providing personal protective equipment and ensuring women’s access to health services like HIV testing and counselling.
Investing in women and girls during this pandemic will serve as a way of reducing the increasing gender based violence that has been observed during the corona virus pandemic. The increase is a result of lost jobs; and now, most people are staying at home and life has become very hard. Providing awareness and low-cost or free counselling to women and girls who are the most vulnerable, will help this group to live peacefully even amidst the pandemic. Many women and girls have been found brutally murdered, raped or abandoned by either family members or unknown people. It is therefore important to make efforts to invest in them to protect their lives and save them from any abuse of their rights.
There has been an increased rate of school dropouts among girls when learning institutions were closed due to Covid-19. Many girls have been married off early and others have stayed behind to look after their infant. This is a big threat to the future of women and girls because of the lost opportunity for education, their light for a brighter future. There is a need to empower women and girls, more particularly during this time of the pandemic. There should be a change in policies to allow the girls to go back to school even when pregnant and nursing their infants. There should be a favourable environment at schools to accommodate them regardless of their situation.
Investing in women and girls during the corona virus pandemic will contribute to lifting of the economy which has spiralled down due to lockdown and curfews. Too often, women participate in low productive labour like waste collection, small businesses and housework. If empowered through provision of financial support and tax reduction, it will enable them to grow their businesses and ultimately improving the economy. They should be given an opportunity to access high productive labour markets without gender and cultural discrimination.
CONCLUSION
Let us take the crisis as an opportunity for building back better for our women and girls. We should use the crisis to strengthen women and girls in economic building, education, health, labour and elimination of gender based violence for a better world. This way we will fight this pandemic and we will attain victory regardless of what the new normal may look like.
Written By Sharon Nawire Walekhwa March, 2021
