Emerging evidence from the ILO on the impact of COVID-19 suggests that women’s economic and productive lives will be affected disproportionately.

(Photo: Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Board Chair, Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, AU Special Envoy to Mobilize International Economic Support for the Fight Against COVID-19, Former Finance Minister, Nigeria).

50% of the agricultural activity on the continent performed by women, who produce about 60-70% of the food in Sub Saharan Africa.

A lack of adequate nutrition is a key contributor to unacceptably high levels of both maternal and child mortality as well as stunting– and therefore to the loss of human capital for the overall economic, social and political development of the continent.

Mrs Graça Machel – Founder, Graça Machel Trust and the Foundation for Community Development

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala – Board Chair, Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, AU Special Envoy to Mobilize International Economic Support for the Fight Against COVID-19, Former Finance Minister, Nigeria

Ms Maria Ramos – Co-Chair of the UN Secretary-General’s Task Force on Digital Financing of the Sustainable Development Goals and former Chief Executive Officer of Absa Group Limited