CSI FOCUS BY MASENYANE MOLEFE
SA companies devoting resources to aid the poor COVID-19 IMPACT Although South Africa's economy is starting to show green shoots of recovery – as the government gradually lifted restrictions, the road ahead is uncertain, steep and bumpy. To compound this situation, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on lives and livelihoods. Even more worryingly – according to a report by the United Nations (UN), which describes the pandemic as "a crisis with a woman's face" – most women work in sectors that are hardest hit by the pandemic, with 24% more likely to lose their jobs, suffer income falls and exacerbate the widening gender pay gap. The big question remains what civil society, the government and individuals can do to alleviate the impact of COVID-19 deepening unemployment and poverty. VACCINATION DRIVE The first obvious solution has been and is still for people across the country to get vaccinated because the vaccine is our only tool to manage the virus. Since the first COVID-19 vaccines became available, we have seen how they have dramatically reduced severe illness, hospitalisation and death across the world. To support efforts to get the country to ramp up vaccinations and mobilise citizens to act and stop the virus, corporates have allocated money to initiatives such as the Solidarity Fund, which is designed to fund impactful initiatives that will augment the national
48 | Public Sector Leaders | February 2022
