By ANN ZULU
Lusaka, Zambia
COVID-19 is increasing
poverty particularly among women and girls, Special Envoy of the United Nations
(UN) Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region Huang Xia has observed.
Mr Xia said women were
the most victims of the social-economic effects of the pandemic.
He said this when he
chaired the 12th session meeting of the Advisory Board for Women, Peace and Security
for the Great Lakes Region which was conducted via video conference with
members from several countries.
The meeting set its
agenda to include mobilization of the regional and international community to
contribute to the fight against COVID-19 and to preserve the achievements
recorded in relation to the Women, Peace and Security component; participation
of women in the political and electoral process in the region; and engagement
of member states to ensure prevention, protection and economic recovery and
implementation of the Regional Action Plan.
It also reviewed the
operationalization of the Regional Action Plan of resolution 2000 of the Great
Lakes Region and examined the role of Gender Ministers in national, regional
and international response to the ongoing health crisis as well as
participation of women in forthcoming elections.
Participants of the 12th session meeting of the Advisory Board for Women, Peace and Security
for the Great Lakes Region
Mr Xia urged members
of the board to redouble their efforts to stimulate advocacy actions at local,
national and regional levels towards not only prevention and protection, but
also socio-economic transformation which would take into account the priorities
of women and girls in all countries of the Great Lakes region during the COVID
19 pandemic.
And Members of the Advisory
Board pledged to champion the interests of women and girls.
Gender in
International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Director and member
of the advisory board Eliane Mokodopo noted that most women in the great lakes
region could not provide family basic needs such as food and health services during
this period.
“Women are the most
active in business, especially informal sector. When borders are closed, and
movements restricted, they cannot generate income," Ms Mokodopo said.
The board also made
recommendations to Governments in the region to sensitize men and women to
share responsibilities and tasks at home to reduce the heavy domestic work
normally done by women.
They also suggested putting
in place strategies to secure fund for women in order to allow them restart
their financial activities when countries start the new normal.
The Advisory Board for
Women, Peace and Security for the Great Lakes Region which Zambia is part of, was
initiated in 2013 under the support of the office of the UN special Envoy to
provide recommendations on issues related to women, peace and security.
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