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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline MARCH 11, 2022 | The Indian Eye 24

cLOsinG the Gap

SADHNA SHANKER

s we observe the International
Women’s day again in 2022,
athere is much to feel happy
about. Parts of the world being governed
by women are increasing steadily. The
latest to join the group is Honduras,
which elected Xiomara Castros as its
first female president in January 2022.
Success stories of women are
many and growing in every field.
Worldwide, women are making their
presence felt in science, media, leader-
ship and even protests. There is much responsibilities of the internet service
to cheer about as we observe another providers. Much like offline violence
International Women’s day, which that seeks to subdue women, online
recognizes women for their achieve- violence seeks to silence them.
ments without regard to divisions, As school education moved on-
whether national, ethnic, linguistic, line, the gender digital divide ensured
cultural, economic or political. The that many girls dropped out of school.
theme for 2022 is “Break the Bias”. As per UNICEF 20% of girls in East
Along with celebrations it is also Asia and the Pacific, totaling nearly 40
a day for stock taking. While cheer- million, have not been able to access
ing and celebrating the strides made, distance learning during COVID-19
we must also acknowledge the road- and 69 percent of girls reported study-
blocks and setbacks that have impact- of global employment but account for paramount importance. They cannot ing and learning less than usual.
ed women. 54 percent of overall job losses. Due be left behind in the new paradigm. The year gone by has seen the
World Economic Forum data to the pandemic, the time women The other disastrous impact for gradual ascent of women in many
suggests that the COVID pandem- spent in family responsibilities in- women during the pandemic was the fields, but the shadow of the pandemic
ic has increased the projected time creased manifold, probably leading to dramatic increase in domestic vio- looms large on the gains made in the
needed to close the Global Gender more dramatic job loss than explained lence. This intensification of domestic past in the arena of gender equality.
Gap from 99.5 years to a whopping by labor-market dynamics alone. violence has been called the ‘shadow The world is talking about a reset
135.6 years! Much like the rest of life, To help women return to work, pandemic’ by the UN. Coupled with in the wake of the pandemic. The re-
gender equality too has a pre and post the emerging post pandemic work- the targeting women in the cyber set also needs to address women. The
COVID trajectory. place would need to change. Whether world, the pandemic has had a skew- post COVID world needs to ensure
Women are the primary care giv- hybrid or completely work from home ered gender impact. equal opportunity, access and repre-
ers at home and in communities. Apart – the rules that will govern must take The rise of cyber stalking and ha- sentation to women in economy and
from risking infection, women lost into account the needs of the female rassment of women during the pan- society. More than a century’s wait to
livelihoods and jobs in a much larger workforce. Childcare facilities and demic has turned the spotlight on the close the gap for half the world’s pop-
number than men. As per reports the a flexible working framework where need for a robust regulatory frame- ulation would be too little too late.
job loss rate has been 1.8 times higher women flourish instead of getting bur- work that addresses the liability of the Sadhna Shanker is a writer based
than men. Women make up 39 percent dened by competing demands are of perpetrators and transmitters, and the in New Delhi

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