Women are the incubators, caretakers of their societies. They are the symbol of love, strength, spirituality, and courage. Being a woman is a symbol of societal integration that extends beyond race, color, age, sexuality, political opinion, and even physicality. According to Professor Myles Munroe, a woman is created by God to receive and to incubate the societies; according to him whatever is given to them they will receive it and multiply it. If they are given a house they will turn it into a home, if they are given groceries they will make meals out of it, and even if they will be given sperm they will turn it into babies because only women have the ability to do so, and because only women have the ability to love fully and to care for and nurture for things around them in societies. Women’s role in societal integration is very important as they specialize in a variety of fields. They are the caregivers at home, CEO at workplaces, teachers at school, frontline health workers at hospitals, and even peacekeepers in conflicted areas from developed states to developing and even war-torn states. Even in the face of this globally spread pandemic of the Coronavirus, they have continued with their responsibilities as the caretaker of their families and societies.
Whereas, Corona pandemic (Covid-19) has multi-faceted effects on our day-to-day life; it has affected many small-scale businesses, damaged the global trade, and disrupted the free mobilization of people resulting in confining them within borders. Many people have lost their jobs. This virus has shaken the education system. This epidemic has pained thousands of people, who are either indisposed or are graved by it. Since its emergence women are playing their outsized role in response to this deadly pandemic of the corona virus. Their role ranging from leading masses against pandemic and protecting their people through their intellectual policy-making skill set to frontline health care workers to housewives. In either way, they are working tirelessly to strengthen the structural bonds of organizations, societies, and families.
Jotting down exceptional on-ground leadership examples of women standing boldly against Covid-19 it is important not to forget Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove. Dr. Maria is leading this fight for curtailment of the pandemic at a global level in a male-dominated international organization, WHO under a male Secretary-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom. Similarly, in a world full of male leaders of most of the states, women state-leaders proved their infinite capabilities during the Corona pandemic. It is imperative to highlight that the states with women in leadership have managed the corona pandemic more effectively as compared to states with male leadership. According to a report of 194 countries published by the Center for Economic Policy, countries led by women had remarkably better covid-19 outcomes ultimately leading to societal integration at the national level. These countries include; New Zealand which is led by Jacinda Ardern, Germany whose chancellor is Angela Merkel who as compared to her other male European counter-part did an outstanding job, Denmark which is governed by Mette Frederiksen, Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen, Finland’s Sanna Marin not forgetting about Shiekh Hasina who is the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Women are not only successful against Coronavirus at the state level but they are also in the fight against this graved virus in various other political setups.
These varying political setups not only include state-level women leadership but also include women at intra-state level male-dominated politics where women have fought against all odds to curb off Covid-19.One exceptional example of this is Dr. Yasmin Rashid. Dr. Yasmin Rashid, who is a Health Minister of Punjab which is the largest province of Pakistan population wise constituting 53% of the country’s population. She only having the ministry of health care in a male-dominated political setup, Dr. Yasmin Rashid through her organizational and leadership skills and by working and fighting fearlessly against Corona pandemic managed to keep the number of Corona patients to a minimum. She has left no stone unturned to keep her people safe from this pandemic and to retain societal integration. For her services, the World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged Punjab’s Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid as one of the outstanding women in leadership during the fight against the covid-19 pandemic.
Similarly, women are also fighting against the pandemic as part of frontline health care workers regardless of their own health and safety. According to a report issued by (WHO),within the health sector, in many countries women comprise over 75% of the workforce, making them indispensable as contributors to the delivery of health care services. Along with this, women are also contributing to societal integration by their efforts in the educational sector. It is imperative to highlight that women’s role in integrating and stabilizing the societal bonds is not limited to working women, but is being done by housewives as well despite the ongoing Corona pandemic. During these challenging times, housewives are playing an integral role in keeping their families’ building blocks intact. They are doing this by helping their spouses to eliminate the financial challenges posed by the Corona pandemic. In addition to that during this pandemic-ridden aura of depression and hopelessness, women are boosting the morals of their families and keeping them intact through their motherly love and care.
In light of the above-mentioned intrinsic role of women during the covid-19 pandemic, it is high time that we must acknowledge their efforts and that we must continue to safeguard the progress we have made towards gender equality.
