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• (OREALC/UNESCO Santiago)

On 17 April 2020, UNESCO, in collaboration with the Regional Education Group for Latin America and the Caribbean, launched the biweekly series of webinars “SDG-Education 2030 Webinar Series for Latin America and the Caribbean: Leaving no one behind in times of the COVID-19 pandemic”. Subsequently, in order to address and respond to the sub-regional challenges for the Caribbean, UNESCO, with the support of the CARICOM Secretariat, initiated a webinar series in English, with a focus on the Caribbean experiences and practices. The third webinar in this series looked at the gender dimension of the impact of COVID-19 in the Caribbean.

The webinar attracted around 200 participants, the majority of which are from the Caribbean region. Dr Laurette Bristol, Programme Manager at the CARICOM Secretariat, facilitated the webinar. She briefly touched on the educational challenges emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic for girls and boys, while stressing on the necessity for education planners and practitioners to address COVID-19 impact from a gender perspective.  

Before entering into the presentations, the panel and participants spared a few minutes to pay tribute to Ms. Mary Alison McLean, Caribbean Representative of UN Woman Multi-Country Office, who passed away suddenly on 1 June 2020. She served as a leading voice for gender equality and the rights of  vulnerable women, men and children in the Caribbean region. Her work will be remembered and continued.

Ms. Ann-Marie Williams from the Gender and Development section of CARICOM Secretariat provided an overview on the impact COVID-19 may have on different age groups, and the potential challenges may be faced by children, such as food insecurity and negative health and well-being effects.

Followed by her, Ms. Shelly N. Abdool-Zerezeghi, Regional Gender Advisor from UNICEF Regional Office contributed with a global perspective on the educational challenges when closing schools, due to  gender inequalities during COVID-19 . She also introduced UNICEF recommendations under the framework for reopening schools. The EU-UN Spotlight Initiative was mentioned as a flagship programme aiming to end violence against women and girls, where education plays a vital role.

From Belize, Ms. Cynthia Williams, Executive Director at National Women’s Commission shared the emerging gendered impacts of COVID-19 on employment, households structure and childcare. She also shared the Belize experience in responding to these challenges and potential actions for consideration, such as involving women in decision making and economic empowerment.

From Dominica, Ms. Melissa Morgan, Director of Bureau of Gender Affairs shared the current educational challenges and their gender consequences faced by Dominica against COVID-19  . She recommended to make  intersectorial efforts in order  to address these challenges.

Ms. Shawna-Kae Burns, a youth representative shared some real-life challenges of gender inequalities encountered by young people in daily life . Additionally, she talked about some youth self-organized responses in several Caribbean countries.  Ms. Burns  concluded her presentation  advocating for future movements on the systematic level.

At the Q&A section, panelists addressed the following questions:

1. Q: How can we ensure that we have access to empirical and relevant data to inform gender analysis of education during COVID-19 as well as reopening? Has any protocol been developed that could allow for gathering of comparative data across LAC member states?

A: We need to continue to invest in strengthening the existing data we have and make the most of the data we have, while filling the gap of data for gender indicators. Using complementary qualitative data is also very important.

2. Q: What are the main challenges for girls and boys after school reopening, considering that many children have been forced into child labor during the school closure?

A: Financial pressure from home; mental health; young learners’ responsibilities for households; insufficient awareness of gender equality and the importance of education particularly among rural populations.

3. Q: How do we use the guidelines available as mechanisms to rethink gender and education, so that we minimize some of the challenges for gendered education provision?

A: Work needs to be done on revise the education system, as some of the available guidelines are not educating boys and girls enough about gender equality. The religious groups need to be more engaged to pass gender equal messages, and we need to engage the public more during implementation of policies.

4. Q: As policy makers, what are the challenges with gender data collection, and how do we overcome them?

A: Who and how to collect data is important. We need to define clearly the indicators before collecting data, and simplify data collection process and find better way to aggregate the locally collected data to the national level. We need to combine the collection of qualitative and quantitative data, while help the existing data collecting institutions. More communication and sharing of information are also important.

5. Q: What are the recommendations for monitoring the impact of interventions, for example the impact of online learning as some learners are using internet for entertainment purposes?

A: The purpose and subject of impact monitoring needs to be identified first, and the monitoring should base on research and asking qualitative questions. The data collected needs to be contextualized. acknowledging the gender difference. Already developed indicators should be utilized, while coordination and partnership among different organizations is vital to successful monitoring.

Dr. Laurette Bristol concluded the webinar with the following key messages:

• The Impact of COVID-19 on gender and education needs to be looked at from a  broader  scope , i.e. the impact on the dramatically-altering dynamics and overall well-being of society and households (socio-economic situations, cultural norms, etc.).
• The current pandemic affects both boys and girls and adolescents without any exception, yet exposes them to harm and exploitation in different ways.
• Gender inequalities in education are engendered in the Caribbean and will worsen as a result of COVID-19. Girls are more disadvantaged and vulnerable in terms of access to learning, work as well as exposure to violence.
• Engaging children and youth as actors, not as mere beneficiaries, is crucial, along with communities.
• Going forward, a multi-sectorial systemic approach (including culture),  with  an age-appropriate and gender perspective   along with an  evidence- based  response is required to ensure  safe return and learning  for  boys and girls (policy, financing, safe operations, reaching the marginalized, etc.)