Women rise together across the life course (Write-life)

The COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to control it have threatened livelihoods, introduced new workplace risks, and made unstable work relationships even more precarious, especially for women. The pandemic also highlighted the disproportionate and longstanding health inequities faced by women and older persons 'Äî populations among the most vulnerable to structural conditions over which they have little or no control, especially in low- and middle-income countries. These inequalities centre on fundamental human rights: water and food security, access to education and healthcare. This project will use an innovative methodology that privileges the voices of women from all socioeconomic backgrounds to explore how women'Äôs health and work have been impacted by the pandemic and to discern their health and well-being issues and needs. The knowledge gained will inform policy and practice to empower women and address the socioeconomic and health inequalities sharpened by the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya and Uganda. The project aims to increase the participation of women in economic activities and in education; improve policies and practices that benefit women of all ages, particularly in the education, health and employment sectors; increase women'Äôs access to reliable pensions and geriatric healthcare services; strengthen South-South collaboration; and build capacities for three post-doctoral fellows and six graduate students. This project is funded under Women'Äôs health and economic empowerment for a COVID-19 Recovery that is Inclusive, Sustainable and Equitable (Women RISE), an initiative of IDRC, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Its aim is to support global action-oriented, gender-transformative research by teams of researchers from low- and middle-income countries and Canada.