ISLAMABAD:Executive Director of United Nations Children Fund Catherine Russell, on International Women’s Day, said UNICEF celebrated the remarkable achievements of women and girls in societies and redouble the commitment to extend those gains to every girl and everywhere.
She said before COVID-19, gender inequality persisted as the most widespread and significant injustice of time, but that injustice multiplied by the impacts of the pandemic.
“COVID-19 is devastating the lives of girls. Ongoing school closures, economic stress, and service disruptions are putting the health, well-being, and futures of the most vulnerable girls at risk. Globally, over 11 million girls may never go back to school after the pandemic. An additional 10 million girls are at risk of child marriage over the next decade” she added.
She highlighted that lockdowns forced children to spend more time in their homes; girls shouldered more of the household labor and many were forced into close quarters with an abuser, separated from the services and communities.
“We cannot let a generation of girls bear the cost of this pandemic for the rest of their lives as we work toward a post-pandemic era, girls must be at the centre of global, national, and local pandemic response and recovery plans” she said.