b'The Impact of COVID on the SDGs and Gender Equality The disproportionate and gender unequal impactsForsome,securinganincomemeanstheyare ofCOVID-19uponallwomenandgirlswasforced to go out to work in unsafe environments so described by the UN Secretary General as a shadowthat they can avoid poverty, homelessness and food epidemic.Theseimpactsarecreatedandinsecurity.Evenbeforethepandemic,women compoundedbypre-existingdiscriminatoryearned less, held less secure jobs, were more likely attitudes, processes and policies that harm womento be employed in the informal sector, and to be and girls in all their diversity, and rely on outdatedsingle-parenthouseholds.Ithasbeenrecognised and regressive gender stereotypes. that at the start of the pandemic, women were on average less able to absorb any economic shocks in Many methods we have to combat COVID-19 arecomparisontomen. i Thesearejustsomeofthe restrictedtothosewith moreresources orthoseways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed from high socio-economic backgrounds. Lockdownsthe deep-seated inequalities that exist within our require that people having space to isolatethesocieties.Ascountriesattempttobuildforward homeless,thoselivinginslums,sharedhousing,bettertheworldispresentedwithaunique prisons, shelters or densely populated areas cannotopportunity to be able to restructure these systems accessthatspace.Accessingworkandeducationto ensure that these impacts are not long-lasting.reliesuponhavingaccesstocomputers,reliable electricity and frequently, family support. For many,COVID-19 vaccines are also de facto distributed on especially women and girls, they do not have thisthebasisofwealth.Onaverage,inhigh-income access due to the digital divide or because the needscountries one in four people have received a COVID-ofmenandboysareprioritisedwithinthe19vaccination,howeverinlow-incomecountries household. For others, particularly those in loweronly one in more than 500 people have received a waged jobs, it is not possible to work from homevaccination. ii Iftheinternationalcommunityis duetothenatureofthesectortheyworkin.seriousaboutcombatingthispandemic, Womendisproportionatelyworkinlow-paid,vaccinations must be fairly distributed. Additionally, underpaidorunpaidjobs,orintheinformalmoresupportmustbegiventoincreasingthe economy.Forthoseworkingintheinformalnumberandqualityofhealthcarefacilities, economy, their sector has collapsed, leaving manyparticularlyintheGlobalSouth.TheUNDPhas womenwithoutthesupportofreliefschemesdocumentedthatwhileintheGlobalNorth,per targeted at those who are formally employed and10,000 people there are 55 hospital beds, over 30 withoutaccesstoothersocialprotectionfloorsdoctorsand81nurses,intheGlobalSouthper includingbenefits. Forthosewhohaveaccessto10,000 people there are only 7 hospital beds, 2.5 socialprotections,likepensions,therearedoctors and 6 nurses. iiiThis disparity in the ability to frequently gender gaps, with women receiving lessprovide medical services has decisive effects upon thanmenduetoalifetimesaccumulationofaddressing the pandemic. Without fair distribution discrimination and discriminatory policies. of vaccines and other health resources, regions of3'