The Office of the Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission on Women, Peace and Security released a special statement from Madame Bineta Diop about COVID-19 and its effects on women and girls in Africa.
Madame Diop outlines four areas of concern which include:
- Increased rates of domestic violence
- The greater risk posed to women and girls as they make up the majority on the front lines
- The escalation of violence as seen in the Lake Chad and Sahel regions, and the Eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which will disproportionately impact women and girls.
- Any debt relief provided must help lift the disproportionate poverty burden from the shoulders and backs of women.
Please read the full statement here.