COVID-19: Implications for the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in its 20 anniversary

The aim of this paper is to address the implications of the COVID-19 for the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. The Women, Peace and Security Agenda-WPS is particularly affected by the pandemic. This Agenda was dopted by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 in 2000 and is now at risk because the COVID-19 is exacerbating gender inequality in conflict-affected settings, post-conflict and humanitarian crises contexts. With the outbreak of the pandemic, women and girls are more likely to be at risk in these contexts because their vulnerability is exacerbated due to the worsening of the bad conditions they already were suffering. Gender inequality rates are particularly high in conflict-affected, post-conflict and humanitarian crises contexts. Because of that, women are deeply excluded from all decision-making processes (including peace and security issues). As a result, women are frequently kept out of the design and implementation of peace and political solutions to crises. Consequently, they have a low capacity to influence decision-making processes on social, economic, health, protection, and justice. Rapid assessments and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic must be both conflict and gender-sensitive to prevent increased suffering of women and girls caused by their added vulnerability. In these contexts, where women and girls already suffer exclusion to access basic goods and essential services such as healthcare, health systems are not properly equipped to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. Also, limited access to essential health information, insufficient or non-existing sanitation facilities and crowded conditions prevent women and girls from conducting the hygienic and social distancing measures recommended to avoid the spreading of the virus and risks for their lives. To this end, raising awareness about the coronavirus health crisis and the prevention of the spread of the pandemic, especially in communities where the government’s reach is limited, must be a top priority. For that purpose, it is necessary to avoid misinformation, distrust, and the spread of rumors which could increase tensions leading to new forms of violence or the rise of previously existing ones, as was the case in many places during the Ebola outbreak. This is particularly important because, with the escalating spread of the COVID-19, fake news, hate speech and stigma have exploded, undermining social cohesion in times of compulsory social distancing. It is imperative in this context to prevent the COVID-19 from becoming a driver of conflict exacerbating existing tensions and violence. In sum, it is necessary to take into account how the COVID-19 outbreak is impacting conflict and humanitarian dynamics with a gender lens. Gender-responsive policies and practices related to education, women´s economic empowerment, food security, livelihoods, nutrition, healthcare, and other key topics are indispensable in the framework of the pandemic. Recovery measures designed and implemented by policymakers, donors, practitioners, or civil society organizations must engage with local communities. This means directly addressing women´s political, social, and economic needs and priorities with well-planned, long-term support to achieve gender equality. Also, it is indispensable to strengthening the leadership and meaningful participation of women and girls in all decision-making processes.