The pandemic’s impact on women and the global economy

What pandemic result will have the largest and longest-lasting impact on women? Is the world really building back better for half the global population? How can we ensure that the post-pandemic recovery is fair to women? And how does this all play into a wider GZERO world? A group of global experts debated these and other questions during a livestream conversation hosted by GZERO Media in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, moderated by eNCA senior news anchor Tumelo Mothotoane.

Dr. Okito Vanessa Wedi, founder and CEO of Creative Development, discussed the terrible impact that COVID misinformation had on women of child-bearing age, how pandemic-related lockdowns and school closures have created a perfect storm for violence against women, and the need to come up with new metrics to value caregiving.

London School of Economics Director Minouche Shafik explained why so much talent has been wasted by women being forced to drop out of the workforce, why we should include support for women caregivers in a new social contract, why investing in women's education is a virtuous circle for economic growth, and why it's time to reassess and come up with a fairer social system.

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former head of UN Women, underscored how many women gave fallen through the tracks after being been caught in a crossfire not of their own making during the pandemic, why violence against women won't end with lifting lockdowns, and why women need digital skills to access remote jobs.

Eurasia Group and GZERO Media President Ian Bremmer pondered what the absence of US leadership means for women now in places like Afghanistan or Yemen, and how flexible work could really help women if they get the skills and support they need.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman analyzed the structural reasons behind the lack of follow-up to the 1995 Beijing Declaration to advance women's rights around the world, and offered some reasons for optimism regarding the future for women in a post-pandemic world.