COVID-19: A Gender Lens. Protecting sexual and reproductive health and rights, and promoting gender equality

Disease outbreaks affect women and men differently, and pandemics make existing inequalities for women and girls and discrimination of other marginalized groups such as persons with disabilities and those in extreme poverty, worse. This needs to be considered, given the different impacts surrounding detection and access to treatment for women and men.

Women represent 70 percent of the health and social sector workforce globally and special attention should be given to how their work environment may expose them to discrimination, as well as thinking about their sexual and reproductive health and psychosocial needs as frontline health workers.

This technical brief provides key messages and recommendations for protecting sexual and reproductive health and rights, and promoting gender equality during the COVID-19 pandemic.