WEBINAR: Caring in the Time of COVID-19: Gaps and Risks Facing Filipino Women

Date: 5 June 2020

Time: 3:00 PM (Manila time)

Registration: bit.ly/3d272yN

Description: The pandemic is deepening pre-existing inequalities, exposing vulnerabilities in social, political and economic systems. Across every sphere, from health to economy, security to social protection, the impacts of COVID-19 are intensified for women and girls simply because of their sex. Women comprise about 70% of the global health care workforce and carry out at least 2 1/2 times more unpaid household work than men. Those who are employed in the kind of informal work have lost their jobs and are rarely protected by legal or formal arrangements. Women, who are most essential, who are currently keeping the majority alive, are least respected, honored, paid and protected.

Quarantine measures imposed as a response to COVID-19 are putting women and girls at a heightened risk of violence at home and cutting them off from essential protection services and social networks. In addition, girls’ education is disrupted by the crisis more than boys due to taking additional caregiving responsibilities, domestic labor, or other income-generating activities.

UP-CIFAL Philippines, UN Women Philippines, the Commission on Human Rights, Miriam College – Women and Gender Institute, and the International Labour Organization Philippines aim to present through a webinar the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic to women and girls, human rights dimensions of COVID-19 response, health and well-being of women and girls, and issues of women migrant workers during the crisis. The webinar offers a venue by which stakeholders such as academics, government agencies, or citizen groups could explore ways to strengthen the capacity to address women and girls’ issues amidst COVID-19.