Webinar highlights pandemic effects on human lives

LAHORE:Speakers at an international webinar “Gender dynamics in the current Pandemic” have said that gender inequalities will have a profound impact on the human lives, and because of these inequalities, coronavirus will impact men disproportionately to women, and also affect transgender and women’s resilience in mitigating the effects of the outbreak.

According to a press release, they were speaking at the webinar organised by Department of Gender & Development Studies of the Lahore College for Women University (LCWU). Speakers included Dr Maria Fannin from School of Geographical Sciences, Bristol University, UK, Dr Georgina Waylen, professor of politics at the University of Manchester, UK, Dr Aurangzeb Alizai, Chairperson, Gender and Development Studies Department, University of Balochistan, Quetta, Prof Dr Bushra Mirza Vice, LCWU. Prof Dr Bushra Mirza said pandemic deepened economic and social stress coupled with restricted movements and social isolation measures, increasing gender-based violence exponentially. She mentioned the extensive burden females were facing because of the pandemic whether by faculty or students. She also acknowledged the role of women nurses, doctors, leaders as a positive aspect of pandemic.

Dr Fannin highlighted the health and economic condition during the pandemic. She highlighted that women were not much affected by the Covid-19 as compared to men. She also discussed gender diversity at workplace, gender segregation and unpaid or domestics labour. She emphasised policymakers to take care of these matters. Dr Georgina Waylen discussed the role of female leaders governed countries and male governed countries in the current pandemic.