Rethinking the Future of Women’s Empowerment: Economic Engagement & COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused tremendous disruption in the lives of many around the globe. Women have been extraordinarily affected, in what can be described as the biggest setback to gender equality in a decade. The long-term implications of this global crisis on women’s lives will not be known quite some time, but we are slowly learning about the hardships confronting women as a result of the pandemic. During recent consultations with over 75 of FHI 360’s Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) champions and experts across 30 countries, every single one confirmed that women project participants are bearing a disproportionate burden of the pandemic. This is especially true for women with disabilities, older women, younger women, and those living in rural areas, bringing issues of gender equality, social inclusion and women’s empowerment to the forefront. The COVID-19 impact on women must be carefully monitored and discussed across multiple demographic groups.

This blog is the first of a two-part series – co-produced by FHI 360 and MarketShare Associates – on Rethinking the Future of Women’s Empowerment in response to the global pandemic. We start by exploring COVID-19’s impact on women’s economic engagement in Egypt. (The second part focuses on the challenges in the fight against gender-based violence).

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