West Africa: women overexposed to coronavirus

Text by: Kpénahi Traoré Follow

Activists for the defense of women's rights and the NGO Équilibres et populations (Equipop) are publishing this Monday in seven African countries a feminist platform entitled "Women's rights and health tested by Covid-19". An initiative which aims to question political decision-makers on the condition of women who, according to them, are overexposed to the virus. RFI joined Ndeye Marième Ly Diagne, head of Equipop programs in Senegal.

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RFI: It has been 25 years this year that the 4th world conference on women was held in China with a hundred heads of state from around the world. Commitments have been made to remove systemic barriers that prevent progress in women's rights. Has anything changed?

Ndeye Marième Ly Diagne: Not much has changed in 25 years, although we now see that women have access to more important positions in the political and social sphere. But we realize that today it is still the status quo for women's rights. For the majority, they are relegated to the background and parity is not respected, especially in the socio-professional sphere.

What is still hindering the advancement of women in African countries today?

Society, culture, perceptions. Today, we find ourselves in a society where the vision of the position of women has not changed. Women are always relegated to the background. Most of the time, for example at the political level, they will be given the functions of Minister of Women, Children or Health. At government or professional level, they rarely occupy important positions where they play a decision-making role. This is due to the fact that women are always thought of as people who have to stay at home and take care of the family, or see hormones - which we have heard - they fail to manage or be good managers, although it has been proven more than once that women do better management than men.

In the column that appeared in the press this Monday, you say that the health crisis has disproportionate consequences for women and girls. How do these consequences translate into the lives of women?

This crisis has only revealed the reality of what women are going through. We realized during this crisis and through the investigation that was made with activist associations that women are overexposed to the virus.

But why are women the most exposed to Covid-19?

They are more exposed because it is they who are outside, it is they who take care of the sick, especially midwives, nurses, so all these people who have in any case the first contact with the sick, women who have this dual charge both in hospitals and at home. In most cases, they are not only exposed, but they cannot even protect themselves from this pandemic.

You even said in the gallery that 70% of health personnel and social workers are women in the countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger and Senegal) where you conducted your survey. Is a forum enough to get things done?

A platform will not necessarily be sufficient to get things done, but what this platform can do is raise awareness of decision-makers, heads of state, donors, society on the status of women. The platform is not going to solve all the problems today, but in any case this platform will make it possible to flat out what women live in their daily lives, so that society can see how much the condition of women needs to be improved because that it's the engine anyway. It is the engine of development, it is the engine in the advancement of a country because although we are considered as second class citizens, we constitute the majority of the population. So it is important that the needs of women are taken into account, not only at the community level but also at the state level.

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• Coronavirus
• Women
• Africa
• Health and Medicine

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