Sri Lanka has been successful in implementing only seven policy measures that were gender sensitive during the COVID-19 crisis, much lower than the implementation of its regional peers such as Pakistan, India and Bangladesh that rolled out 14, 18 and 17 policies during the crisis.

The Gender Sensitive Tracker launched by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Women (UNW) yesterday aimed to provide insights on gender disparities in COVID-19 responses, from gender-based violence to economic stimulus to social protection measures for women.

The tracker highlighted that from a global perspective, women have been largely left out of COVID-19 task forces, which the UNDP said would perpetuate the divide.

The UNDP warned that without women in decision-making roles, the COVID-19 measures taken by governments are more likely to ignore women’s needs and it could further exacerbate the unequal recovery opportunities from the pandemic, which is already threatening to reverse decades of progress on gender equality.

“It is inconceivable that we can address the most discriminatory crisis we have ever experienced without full engagement of women,” said UNW Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.

“At the moment, men have given themselves the impossible task of making the right decisions about women without the benefit of women’s insights. This needs to be set right without delay, so we can work together on a future that is equitable, gender-responsive and greener,” she added.