Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund (DBA Women First International Fund) with NGO Committee on Financing for Development, a substantive committee of the Conference of NGOs (CoNGO), Salesian Missions Inc., Global Foundation for Democracy and Development, New Humanity, Red Dot Foundation and Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd

According to recent figures from the World Food Program (WFP), lives and livelihoods of 265 million people in low- and middle-income countries will be under severe threat as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. This is nearly double the 135 million people in 55 countries that the Global Report on Food Crises 2020 has estimated as facing acute hunger as a result of conflict, the impact of climate change, and economic crisis prior to the onset of COVID-19. ILO estimates that as many as 25 million people could become unemployed, with a loss of workers’ income of as much as USD 3.4 trillion due to COVID-19 globally. The evidence from the drastic effects of the pandemic clearly speaks to a broken system of social safety nets, healthcare, and social protection systems, that are either severely lacking or completely missing and that will continue to amplify poverty and income, wealth, health, gender, trade, debt and market inequalities in many of the developing and least developed countries. As Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus shared, “The best defense against disease outbreaks and other health threats is preparedness, which includes investing in building strong health systems and primary health care. […] If we don’t invest in both, we will face not just health consequences but the social, economic, and political fallout that we’re already experiencing in this pandemic.” Now is the time to reevaluate, invest where it is needed the most, and fix these broken systems, because if we do not, nobody else will.

The panel will explore financing challenges in the aftermath of COVID-19 and strategize on how best to build effective collaboration and partnerships between public, private, and civil society organizations to address hunger, unemployment, and healthcare. Panelists will share specific challenges faced by migrants, women, workers in the informal and agricultural sectors, and micro small and medium enterprises as they strive to revive their livelihoods and economy. We will hear voices from the communities most impacted by the lock downs and fall-out from COVID-19. Panelists will also share positive impacts of measures they have taken to address the challenges and propose further action to reevaluate, reinvest, and rebuild.

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