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Pandemics affect women and men differently. Women generate 70% of global healthcare workers. Although they are more likely to become the victims of systematic gender-based violence, they are underrepresented in the decision-making processes concerning the COVID19 pandemic, and they suffer from economic inequalities while struggling to ensure their financial independence.

On the other hand, men are less likely to ask for support and care due to gender roles, including physical and mental support, which makes them vulnerable to the ongoing crisis in a different way. Helplessness may lead to an increase in the cases of violence against women as well.

The only underprivileged community is not women, but also refugees, LGBTI+ individuals, homeless people and people with disabilities. Historical inequalities and forced social exlucion make things way more difficult for oppressed communities, especially during the ongoing coronavirus disease pandemic.

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.

The global reproductive rights movement that began in the 1960s transformed the lives of hundreds of millions of women, empowering them to govern their own bodies and shape their own futures. But despite the gains made over the past 50 years, since the establishment of  UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, the world still has a long way to go before rights and choices are claimed by all, according to the State of World Population 2019, released by UNFPA on 10 April 2019.

"Gender-based Violence: UNFPA Prevention & Response" publication is developed from the results of mapping exercise of UNFPA engagement in Ending Gender-based Violence worldwide.