I’m moderating this panel discussion on the Gendered Effects of COVID19 on Africa and Her Diaspora on Sunday, October 25, from 1:30-3:30 pm. You are cordially invited. Attendance is free, but you must register. Looking forward to seeing you.
October 25, 1:30 p.m., Zoom
Whether it is in terms of economic dislocations, or infections, or deaths, the pandemic has disproportionately affected people of African descent in the Diaspora. Approximately 40%of those infected are women. The World Health Organization, says that “Humanitarian crises, including health emergencies, affect men and women differently. As COVID-19 continues to spread in Africa, there are concerns over its impact on women and girls, with vulnerabilities feared to worsen as the pandemic overwhelms health systems. Women in particular have the burden of making ends meet when their primary employment is in the informal economy.
A majority of African women lack adequate social protection. Having people under lockdown or quarantine conditions to reduce the prospect of infections has increased families’ connectedness as well as creating more work for women, whose workload has increased because most are primarily responsible for childcare, childrearing, elder care, and care for sick and recovering members of the family. Children being educated remotely may be mostly supervised by female members of the family. As well, domestic violence and intimate partner violence, rape, and sexual harassment have spiked in the era of COVID-19. So have incidences of rape and sexual harassment. The effects are psychosomatic and emotional..”
This panel will:
- glean insights from scholars, activists, multilateral organizations, non-governmental organizations, and experiences of ordinary people;
- based on such insights, inform, educate, and encourage action.
PANELISTS Click here to see full bios.
Mojúbàolú Olufúnké Okome, Ph.D. (Moderator)
Andrea White, Ph.D.
Maricel Mena Lopez, Ph.D
Afia Zakiya, Ph.D.,
Wangui Wa Goro, Ph.D.
