6.12. Recommendations

East Africa during the past two decades are one of the main reasons for the continent’s preparedness. Many African countries have adopted practices to fight those epidemics that have now been adapted to the new pandemic.29

 Strengthen women’s resilience in COVID-19 prevention and support women’s economic activities during the pandemic.

 Ensure women’s equal participation in the development, management and implementation of responses to COVID-19, both short and long term. Particular attention should be paid to including the voices and perspectives of women with disabilities, women in rural and remote areas, female members of minority groups, older women and widows.

 Establish mechanisms to monitor, report on and analyse the use of COVID-19 funds, and to address gaps and remaining challenges.

 Allocate financial resources to ensure extra support to groups and institutions providing assistance and protection to survivors of SGBV as the numbers have increased as a result of lockdowns and curfews. It is also vital that measures be put in place to assist survivors and facilitate their access to services and support, such as through helplines and technology-based solutions.

 Invest resources in collecting gender-disaggregated data to assess the impact of the pandemic on women, such as VAW, and ensure that such data collection does not put women and girls at increased risk of violence and abuse.

The pandemic is augmenting the challenges that remain and deepening existing gender inequalities as women are disproportionately affected. Violations of women’s human rights are increasing. Incidence of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence and child marriage is on the rise. Women working in the informal sector are without income and protection.