A report released by Christian Aid has drawn attention to the various inequalities that Covid-19 has revealed, such as the experiences of different genders, different countries and different health care systems.
The report, Building Back with Justice: Dismantling Inequalities after Covid-19, which is backed by many church leaders, makes the case for a global response package to deal with the immediate impact of the crisis that would help lay the foundations for a long-term global recovery plan.
This includes debt cancellation for the world’s 76 poorest nations, countries pooling resources to find a cure and all Governments providing testing and tracing that is free at the point of use.
The international aid agency shows how Germany and Italy have spent around 40% and 30% of GDP respectively on economic stabilisation, while Malawi, Kenya and DRC have spent less than 1%, and the UK has spent about 20 times as much as Malawi, as a percentage of GDP.
The report highlights the fact that women and girls are most affected. It says: “There is growing evidence that women are bearing the heaviest social and economic burden during the crisis.” This is because women do most health and social care work, usually in the lowest-paid jobs in these sectors. Women are also likely to be exposed to violence in times of crisis.
The report is also calling on governments to promote accountable governance, by limiting emergency powers to what is needed to halt the spread of the virus and to lay the groundwork for a sustainable future by ensuring that any bailouts of business are used to promote tax reform, a reduction in carbon emissions and accountable business behaviour.
Listen to Premier's interview with Paul Brannen, Christian Aid's head of UK advocacy and campaigns here: