Tackling Covid-19 with Intelligence and Care
From chefs and celebrities to politicians and students, women around the world have been spearheading efforts to encourage and uplift others during the chaos and uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Here are seven examples of initiatives led by women that are mobilizing support to save or improve lives during this unprecedented global crisis.
1. Female Healthcare Heroes
Women healthcare workers around the world have been making great sacrifices to help those infected with the novel coronavirus. For example, eight female nurses working at the Department of Chest Diseases in Beni Suef, Egypt volunteered to permanently stay inside the hospital to help doctors treat Covid-19 patients. Despite the stark reality of extremely high health risks, severe staff and equipment shortages, low wages, and insanely long hours, women like these continue to help save lives.
2. #Savewithstories
Jennifer Garner and Amy Adams launched the #Savewithstories initiative to help children meet their education, health, and nutrition needs despite thousands of schools being shut due to the pandemic. The initiative involves celebrities and others reading children’s stories and fundraising in partnership with Save the Children and No Kid Hungry. Some of the celebrities involved include Liv Tyler, Kerry Washington, Katherine Newton, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Kate Winslet, who enjoyed the initiative so much she took part more than once.
3. Women Leaders
New Zealand, Germany, and Taiwan are three countries with two things in common. They have all done exceptionally well in their response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and they all have female leaders. Led by Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand has had only had around 20 coronavirus deaths and as of June 8, the country was declared virus-free. Tsai Ing-Wen, Taiwan’s first female president, spearheaded a rapid defense against the pandemic. Despite the country’s close proximity to China, there have been a low number of confirmed cases thus far. Germany has been hit a lot harder by the pandemic, but it has an extraordinarily low mortality rate, which has been ascribed to Angela Merkel’s approach of early and widespread testing as well as ensuring adequate intensive care.
4. Surprising a Senior Citizen with Flowers
Not all kind gestures have to be grand or done by famous people. Our senior citizens are some of the most vulnerable to coronavirus, and strict lockdown rules have stopped families from seeing their older members to avoid the spread of the virus. We can only imagine the fear and loneliness they have experienced in recent months. Two young women in Wautoma, WI organized a Facebook fundraiser with the goal of raising $500 to surprise seniors with flowers. Raising more than three times that amount, they brought some tears of happiness to the eyes of the senior citizens they surprised at an assisted living facility.
5. Women Deliver
The Women Deliver initiative was launched with the goal of advocating for a gender lens on Covid-19 while continuing to promote gender equality around the world. Focus is placed on highlighting how women and girls are being affected by the pandemic and how disparities can be addressed. The pandemic has exacerbated gender inequalities around the world and there has been a drastic spike in gender-based violence. The need for initiatives that safeguard women is becoming increasingly clear so Katja Iversen, Aanjalie Roane, Allie Wittry have been leading the way on this issue.
6. NHS Wellness Box and Jikoni
As London went into lockdown, Ravinder Bhogal, the owner of the Jikoni restaurant, closed her doors to the public to keep her employees safe. However, she did not stop working, instead shifting her focus to using her kitchen and skills to support the frontline workers at the NHS. Bhogal partnered with the NHS Wellness Box initiative and began cooking wholesome meals for healthcare workers who are risking their lives every day away from their families. The chef funded the meals out of her own pocket and with help from some of her suppliers.
7. Women Rise for All
This initiative led by the United Nations involves women collaborating to save lives and protect livelihoods. Convened by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, the goal of Rise for All is to help the UN’s Response and Recover Trust Fund and to provide support for global economic recovery from the pandemic. Some of the women involved in this initiative are Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde, UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore, UNFPA Executive Director Natalia Kanem, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador of Pakistan Muniba Mazari, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, and Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser of Qatar.
Beyond Covid-19
These women-led initiatives provide an impressive demonstration of what a formidable force women across the globe can be and how all women can be influential, even when not in official positions of power. The impact that these organizations have made so far will continue long after the chaos of coronavirus has ended.
