Women’s History Month: One Year Into COVID-19

I am an example of what is possible when girls from the very beginning of their lives are loved and nurtured by people around them. I was surrounded by extraordinary women in my life who taught me about quiet strength and dignity.

-Michelle Obama

Settling into Women's History Month, in the United States and around the world, we continue to see the monumental contributions women have made. 

In recognizing women who have collectively contributed to the pivotal shift in society and how it views women, we commemorate political figures like the United States' first female vice president Kamala Harris and top, game-changing executives like Whitney Wolf Herd. 

Each woman in her own right continues to pave her way in his(HER)story.

As we celebrate the phenomenal women before us and the progression we seek to ignite daily, a considerable amount of work remains ahead.

The acknowledgment of notable female pioneers in every field is one way to honor Women’s History Month. Another way to observe this month is to hone in on the disturbing, deeply troubling elements that continue to plague women and girls today so that we can liberate them and continue our quest towards a world of equality.

The largest threat facing the world today is the current and possible future effects of COVID-19. This virus must not reverse the progress we have made. 

Women continue to play a disproportionate role in the COVID-19 response. About 70% of frontline healthcare workers are women. Not only have women been the first to respond to this virus that has claimed over half a million lives, but unpaid care work has also increased significantly for them as a result of increased elderly needs and school closures.  

As we continue fighting for equal pay in the United States, women continue to be hit harder economically due to disproportionate work in insecure labor markets. Approximately 60% of women work in the informal economy, putting them at a much greater risk of falling into poverty during the deeply challenging times we continue to witness. 

Data suggests that violence against women and girls has also become an intensified situation due to the pandemic. Due to multiple lockdowns nationwide, the pandemic correlates with this increase of violence towards women and girls. Many women now need to stay at home more often, trapped with their abusers, and unable to access services to assist them.

One year into this global epidemic, the world continues its attempt to heal. Vaccinations continue to ramp up, and we collectively have a much better understanding than we did around the same time one year ago however, we can not ignore what the coronavirus has left behind. 

Not every person will be able to go back to a true normal, and that includes women who for over one year were at the forefront of the challenges that the deadly virus came with.

Now is the time to extend a healing hand for the women and girls who continue to suffer numerous losses due to COVID-19.

There are many ways you can help women everywhere this Women’s History Month. From checking in with the women in your life to donating time or money to charitable organizations that help women, there are many ways you can become a part of the solution.

Women are, and continue to be at the core of the ongoing fight against COVID-19. Let us all collectively come together to lift them higher and celebrate them for being a part of the history we will tell generations to come.

Leah Cohen is a California-based freelance writer. Reach her at [email protected].