DIGITAL SERIES


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Tuesday, December 1, 2020 | 45 minutes | 10:00 GMT The COVID-19 pandemic is deepening pre-existing inequalities, exposing vulnerabilities in social, political and economic systems and consequently amplifying the impacts of the pandemic. As seen during previous health crises, women are amongst the most negatively affected, especially in low-income countries. Nearly 60 percent of women around the world work in the informal economy, having less earnings and savings at their disposal, which increases their risk of remaining in or falling into poverty. Due to the pandemic, not only are women losing paid employment, their unpaid care work duties have increased exponentially as a result of school closures and the increased needs of older people – both of which they are, due to social norms, expected to take care of to a greater extent than men. These inequalities could lead to the gender gap widening, and the devastating social and economic consequences of COVID-19 could reverse the progress that has been made on gender equality and women’s empowerment. In the light of this, António Guterres, UN Secretary General, i.e. through the “Women rise for all” initative and a dedicated policy brief, urged to put women’s leadership and contributions at the heart of resilience and recovery, starting with women as leaders, with equal representation and decision-making power. To support these efforts, gender-responsive approaches like gender lens investing are essential in both the immediate response and longer-term recovery solutions for global challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. They are crucial for mitigating disproportionately negative effects on women, as well as for increasing resilience to future shocks by supporting a more stable and inclsuive public and private sector, for the benefit of society as a whole. The proposed session explores how gender lens investing contributes to building back better by applying a gender lens in the identification of long-term recovery solutions.
  • Why are women underrepresented in investment and finance, both as investors and beneficiaries?
  • How has the gender gap in investment and finance exacerbated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women and society as a whole?
  • Which tools exist for integrating gender analysis into investment and financial decision-making processes?
  • What is gender lens investing and what are its benefits?
  • What are some success stories, lessons learned and current trends in the field of gender lens investing?
  • In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, what measures must be taken now to foster more resilient and inclusive future economies and societies?