Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.
Ruth Bader-Ginsburg

Sunday, 11th October is International Day of the Girl. The existence of this day has jolted me out of my preoccupations from the past few weeks and serves as a powerful reminder of why I started writing my blog in the first place.
2020: A challenging year
2020 continues to prove a year of challenge, affecting the world almost unanimously. In the last few months, I, like many others, lost my job, my husband contracted the COVID-19 virus and we found ourselves in lockdown once again. It’s an unnerving experience to be told “good luck” by medical professionals, with advice to call an ambulance if your symptoms deteriorate to the point where you have difficulty breathing. No cure, no point seeing your family doctor. Just wait and see how your body fights the virus. Thankfully, and for which we are very grateful, my husband had mild symptoms and is slowly feeling stronger.
In the meantime, humankind continues to be ravaged by the rising number of Coronavirus infections and the ramifications of an economic depression. Women are even more affected and women’s employment more vulnerable than ever.
“’Falling below the poverty line’ is a euphemism…it means…having to scratch and claw every single moment just to keep your family alive”- the Gates Foundation
The COVID-19: A Global Perspective report from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has found that the “pandemic has pushed almost 37 million people below the US$ 1,90 a day extreme poverty line. The poverty line for lower-middle-income countries is US$ 3,20 a day, and 68 million people have fallen below that one since last year.”
This is the stark reality of today. Solutions can no longer be country specific or tied to an economic bloc. Global solutions are needed for global problems. If proof is needed of this assertion, one only need fast forward to a future when a vaccine for COVID-19 becomes available. The Gates Foundation report references modeling from Northeastern University in the United States, stating that “if rich countries buy up the first 2 billion doses of vaccine instead of making sure they are distributed in proportion to the global population, then almost twice as many people could die from COVID-19”.
Widening chasm of inequality
When I started thinking about the International Day of the Girl this morning, I thought of the widening chasm of inequality due to the pandemic, between the genders, different races and differing socio-economic status. I also considered the initiatives I have learnt about over time, focusing on improving the lives of women and children and by extension, the family and society.
Since starting my blog in June this year and merely scratching the surface of social issues, I have been amazed at the commitment towards activism, opportunities for collaboration and support that I have witnessed. The late US Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader-Ginsburg’s quote at the start of this post really brought home the importance of inclusion in this drive to uplift the vulnerable, with the power of many hands and minds.
Why are women disproportionately affected?
The Gates Foundation found these “newly impoverished people are more likely to be women than men. One reason is that women in low- and middle-income countries work overwhelmingly in the informal sector, which tends to operate in now-inaccessible spaces (like people’s homes and public markets) and with [lesser]access to government support. Another reason is the avalanche of unpaid care work—like cooking, cleaning, caring for children and sick relatives”.
What can we do to help?
To quote Ruth Bader-Ginsburg again, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.”
It is clear, women are disproportionately affected by the consequences of COVID-19. The relatively few female heads of state have been lauded with their response to the pandemic. Women need to continue to be a part of the solution. From high profile advocates such as Melinda Gates and Malala Yousafzai to rural based women who are crucial to grassroots programs.
Melinda Gates, in her recent video, How Women Are Left Behind in the Pandemic Economy proves it is possible to reach women, even in rural locations, to ensure their financial independence is not eroded by the pandemic. How did the Indian government achieve this? By transferring financial aid directly to the women with the assistance of organisations such as FIA Global, who aim to boost financial inclusion in rural parts of South Asia. Ms Gates reinforces the necessity of this female inclusion as a benefit to the families and the wider community- in addition to the women themselves.