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DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

  • 27 October, 2020

  • 5 Min Read

Women at the heart of recovery

Women at the heart of recovery

By, Shoko Noda is UNDP Resident Representative in India; Atul Bagai is Head, UN Environment Country Office, India

Context

  • The recovery measures undertaken by the government through fiscal stimulus packages is offering India two golden opportunities: one, to build climate resilience for the most vulnerable by ensuring that stimulus measures are green; and two, to meaningfully address long-standing gender equality issues.

Societal impact of the pandemic

  • The pandemic has exacted a heavy toll. Fragile health systems and frontline health workers are overburdened and lives and livelihoods impacted.
  • The poor, Adivasis, migrants, informal workers, sexual minorities, people with disabilities and women all face a greater brunt than most.
  • Beyond this, the causes and effects of climate changestressed agriculture, food insecurity, unplanned urban growth, thinning forest covers, rising temperatures and shrinking water resources — have also hit vulnerable groups disproportionately.

Vulnerable group

  • Women in particular have their work cut out for them.
  • Greater demands of unpaid care work during the pandemic and rising rates of reported violence are a stark reminder of the work that remains to be done.
  • According to the India Voluntary National Review 2020, female labour force participation rate for the 15-59 age group is showing a declining trend and stands at 25.3%.
  • This is one of the lowest rates in the world.
  • Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund estimates that equal participation of women in the workforce will increase India’s GDP by 27%.
  • The Indian government has invested nearly $22.5 billion in COVID-19 recovery.
  • Strengthening social protection using targeted and appropriate fiscal and policy measures is a good start.
  • Aligning these recovery packages with India’s commitments on climate change by investing in green jobs will improve lives and make our planet healthier.
  • These green investments ought to be reflected across agriculture, urban planning, energy and the health sectors and in climate-resilient civil works, including under MGNREGA.
  • Women, particularly those from indigenous and marginalised communities, play a significant yet unsung role in various sectors.
  • Comprising more than 50% of the agricultural labour force, and nearly 14% of all entrepreneurs, women’s relationship with the environment and the informal economy can be a useful lever of action to transform the lives and livelihoods of their families and communities.

Equipping women with skills

  • Disha, a UNDP initiative supported by the IKEA Foundation, has reached one million women and girls with skills and livelihood opportunities.
  • This initiative has shown the benefits of investing in local jobs for women and vulnerable communities.
  • These investments energise local economies, reduce carbon emissions, enhance climate resilience and disrupt social norms and behaviours that restrict women’s participation in the workforce.
  • Another example comes from an initiative by the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) and the Electronics Sector Skills Council of India, and supported by the UN Environment Programme.
  • By training young rural women to develop a cadre of 15,000 solar technicians for the maintenance of solar pumps in remote locations, the initiative will not only introduce clean energy options but also reduce production costs.
  • Accelerating the transition to renewable energy will lower carbon footprints and can help provide sustainable livelihoods to poor women.

Way forward:

  • Creating the right financial incentives, fostering sustainable public-private partnerships and enabling women entrepreneurs to access markets, training and mentoring will be critical in scaling up these approaches.
  • The Asian Development Bank projects that India’s GDP growth rate will rebound to 8% in 2021-22. Putting women at the heart of this recovery will make it faster, just and inclusive.

Source: TH


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