Gender and Environment Data Alliance [launch event]
Dear colleagues,
The COVID-19 crisis has taken a staggering toll on people, communities and economies everywhere. But not everyone is affected equally. Women, who account for the largest share of front-line health workers, for example, are disproportionately exposed to the coronavirus. Supply chains around the world are being disrupted, impacting the availability of contraceptives and heightening the risk of unintended pregnancy. As countries are on lockdown and health systems struggle to cope, sexual and reproductive health services are being sidelined and gender-based violence is on the rise.
Recent UNFPA research highlighted that if the lockdown continues for 6 months with major disruptions to health services, then 47 million women in low- and middle-income countries may not be able to access modern contraceptives resulting in 7 million unintended pregnancies. 31 million additional cases of gender-based violence can also be expected. The disruption of UNFPA’s programmes on the ground could result in 2 million cases of female genital mutilation and 13 million child marriages between 2020 and 2030 that could have been averted.
Moreover, women disproportionately work in insecure labour markets and are harder hit by the economic impacts of COVID-19. Nearly 60 percent of women worldwide work in the informal economy, at greater risk of falling into poverty. Women’s unpaid care work has increased as a result of school closures and the increased needs of older people.
The pandemic is hitting marginalized communities particularly hard, deepening inequalities and threatening to set us back in our efforts to leave no one behind. Our response to COVID-19 in every country is critical and will determine how fast the world recovers and whether we achieve the Sustainable Development Goals or not.
To learn more about how and why the UN commemorates this observance, check out un.org/en/observances/world-population-day.
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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org.
Due to COVID-19, it is expected that 13 million more child marriages could take place by 2030 than would have otherwise. Families are more likely to marry off daughters to alleviate the perceived burden of caring for them, especially in the anticipated economic fallout of the pandemic.
In turn, the fight to end obstetric fistula, one of the most serious and tragic injuries that can occur during childbirth, could be threatened by COVID-19.
Obstetric fistula is preventable; it can largely be avoided by delaying the age of first pregnancy; the cessation of harmful traditional practices; and timely access to obstetric care. Unfortunately, the current pandemic affects all these preventive measures in developing countries where obstetric fistula still exists – countries in which health care systems, even before the coronavirus outbreak, failed to provide accessible, quality maternal health care.
The pandemic is also expected to cause significant delays in programmes to end female genital mutilation (FGM) – something that could lead to a spike in FGM cases, according to UNFPA, which is a contributing factor for obstetric fistula.
As the virus advances in these countries, health services become overloaded, or provide a limited set of the services that women need. At the same time, many women and girls also skip important medical check-ups for fear of contracting the virus.
With this possible future scenario of preventive measures in danger, now more than ever, it is important to call on the international community to use the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula to significantly raise awareness and intensify actions towards ending obstetric fistula, as well as urging post-surgery follow-up and tracking of fistula patients.
To read personal testimonials and learn more about how the UN commemorates this day, visit un.org/en/observances/end-fistula-day.
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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee for Rare Diseases, please visit ngocommitteerarediseases.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bobbinassar@gmail.com or bknotts@uua.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-NY, please visit ngocsw.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Vienna, please visit ngocswvienna.org. ngocsw-geneva.ch.
Dear colleagues & friends,
Greetings. I hope this email finds you safe and well. Kindly find below the relevant information of the upcoming webinar on Spirituality, Mental Health and Resilience in the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and HIV that UNAIDS is organizing with the coalition of partners from the Interfaith health platform, for your information and kind participation. Many thanks.
DRAFT AGENDA
Overview and Session 1 – Mental Health in the dual pandemics: what spirituality, resilience and a human rights-based approach have to offer?
Best Practices & Lessons Learned Session: HIV & COVID-19
5:30-7:30 am San Francisco / 8:30-10:30 am New York / 1:30-3:30 pm Dakar /
2:30-4:30 pm Geneva / 4:30-6:30 pm Nairobi / 7:00-9:00 pm Mumbai /
8:30-10:30 pm Bangkok
Register here. Virtual – UNAIDS Platform (Zoom) + YouTube | Interpretation: English, French, Spanish
Warm regards,
Chuqiu Peng
Consultant
Inter-governmental Inter-Agency and Policy Dialogue Branch (IIPDB)
Policy and Strategy Division (PSD)
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Email: peng@unfpa.org
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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee for Rare Diseases, please visit ngocommitteerarediseases.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Mental Health, please visit ngomentalhealth.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values, and Global Concerns-NY, please visit csvgc-ny.org.
REGISTRATION IS GROWING. REGISTER NOW TO RESERVE SPACE: https://bit.ly/34ir0Tx
Please join us for the 7th Annual Symposium on the Role of Religion and Faith-Based Organizations in International Affairs.
2021 Theme: “2021: A Defining Year for Accelerating Gender Equality, Equity and Justice.”
Tuesday, 26 January 2021
8:00 am – 12:30 pm (New York)
2:00 pm – 6:30 pm (Geneva)
8:00 pm – 12:30 am (Bangkok)
10:00 pm – 02:30 am (Seoul)
12:00 am – 4:30 am (Sydney)
The Symposium will focus on overcoming pervasive gender inequalities and discrimination as an essential contribution to reshaping the world as we recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic and to achieving sustainable peace and development. It will explore how faith actors and institutions can work in tandem with governments, the United Nations, and broader civil society to accelerate the pace towards gender equality, equity and justice, presenting directions based on innovative approaches. The Symposium will not shy away from honest appraisal of both the contributions of faith actors to this agenda as well as pointing to where and how they are hindering progress, but will primarily serve as a space to recommit to achieving gender justice, grounded in both faith values and universal human rights, and as part of our commitment to begin a more critical understanding of race, post-colonialism and intersectionality within international development discourse and practice.
Those gathered online will focus on overcoming pervasive gender inequalities and discrimination as an essential contribution to reshaping the world as we recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic. The overarching goal is to provide the opportunity to explore together ways to scale up work for gender justice, and to recommit to achieving it.
Participants will explore how faith actors and institutions can work in tandem with governments, the United Nations, and broader civil society to accelerate the pace towards gender equality, equity and justice.
Symposium is organized by the World Council of Churches, ACT Alliance, General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church, Islamic Relief, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Soka Gakkai International, United Religions Initiative, and UN Women and the United Nations Population Fund UNFPA, for the United Nations Inter-agency Task Force on Religion and Development.
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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Geneva, please visit ngocsw-geneva.ch. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-New York, please visit ngocsw.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Status of Women-Vienna, please visit ngocswvienna.org.
Monthly Meeting: NGO Committee on the Status of Women – NY
June’s Monthly Meeting will focus on the intersection between health and finance in the gender impacts of COVID-19. The topic will be approached through a multilateral lens, with speakers from various sectors including civil society, government, and United Nations agencies.
Read the detailed concept note and program with the speakers bios.