As the COVID-19 virus continues to spread globally, it is abundantly clear that countries and communities already affected by conflict are being particularly impacted by this pandemic. It is also clear that the virus and its secondary effects will have a disproportionate impact on the women and young people in these communities.
In the first instance, responding to a health pandemic is incredibly challenging when public health systems are already weak or broken as a result of conflict. Furthermore, for many healthcare is simply inaccessible, such as in the many refugee and displaced persons camps and settlements around the world. In the second instance, women and young people may be particularly vulnerable to the secondary impacts of the virus such as economic fall out, community tension and gender-based violence. The implications of these secondary impacts on states where there is already instability and insecurity due to conflict is currently unknown - what we do know, however, is that there is a continuum of violence at play; this context may exacerbate personal violence in the home, increase state violence, and impact geopolitical relations which may lead to further violence, all of which are connected.
COVID-19 is already taking its toll on key global advocacy moments for the rights of women and girls, for example the cancellation of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and impact on the Generation Equality Forums. With the 20th Anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) approaching in October of this year, it is unclear what the impact of this global health pandemic will be on this important moment for reflection and influence on the international peace and security architecture. As many governments and multilateral institutions choose to ‘reprioritise’ their funding and focus in the midst of this outbreak, it is essential that we remember that issues of gender, conflict and peace do not exist separately from this crisis. In fact, they will be heavily impacted by it, and will in turn influence the success of various response measures.
In light of the above, OGIP have made the decision to postpone the publication of the rest of our research series on ‘Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict’ and instead to focus on the publication of a blog series in response to the COVID-19 crisis. This series will be a platform for young people grappling with the impacts of COVID-19 to reflect on their experiences, and to give their insights and recommendations in relation to the gendered impacts of COVID-19 and peace and security. Young people have every right to take part in the global conversations around responses to COVID-19, both in the short and long term. It is incredibly important to listen to and act on the reflections and recommendations of young people as they know how to best address their needs in this unprecedented global situation.
If you would like to contribute to this ongoing conversation, take a look at the call for proposals for the blog series on COVID-19 available here.
OGIP ARE NO LONGER TAKING SUBMISSIONS FOR THE COVID-19 BLOG SERIES
Comments