Think-piece on gender and climate change in the context of COVID-19

COVID-19 is more than a public health crisis. It is a socio-economic crisis and has serious repercussions for the most vulnerable members of our societies, particularly those who are also burdened by climate change.

The EmPower Project with UNEP and UN Women is making the connections between gender and climate change in the COVID-19 context. As countries slowly start moving from response to recovery, we cannot go back to business as usual. The climate crisis is waiting for no one and continues to unfold even though this pandemic. Women’s access to green jobs and climate-resilient livelihoods will be a key stepping stone to help us bounce back. We need to make sure that economic recovery packages account for climate change and leave no one behind. There is a wealth of opportunities for us as a region to come out of this crisis, stronger, greener, and together. We need to seize them.