b'Soroptimist InternationalReport for the High-Level Political ForumAbout This ReportAfter over a year of the COVID-19 pandemic, manypolitical willin reality, the cause of injustices countrieshavewatchedtheirhard-wonprogressandinequalitieswithincountriesandbetween towardsachievingtheSustainableDevelopmentcountries is the direct result of deliberate and bad Goalsgobackwards.Allwomenandgirlshavepoliticalchoices, policiesandlaws. Itistherefore experiencedtheimpactsofCOVID-19particularlyimportanttorecognisesystematicdiscrimination acutelywomen frontline workers and those inandill-designedpoliciesaretherootofmany the informal economy were among those hit firstinjustices and inequalities that were exposed during and hit hardest. Women were often the first to facethis pandemic. For example, poverty is man-made, unemployment often due to care responsibilities. Asand the result of deliberate policy choices, similar to lock downs spread across the world opportunitiesthegendergapinsalary,pensionandliving forwomensworkhasshrunk,morewomenareconditions. livinginpoverty,ratesofgender-basedviolence have increased, child marriage, teen pregnancy, asSDG 10 on eradicating inequalities digs deep into wellasmaternalandinfantmortalityrateshavethe systemic barriers that prevent us from achieving increased.Beitthroughpaidandunpaidlabourthe2030Agenda.Therearemultipleand women and girls have to keep homes, communitiesintersectingformsofdiscriminationthat and economies afloat while facing increased caringcontinuouslycreateinequalitiesbetweenand responsibilities at home. within countries down to the household level. The COVID-19pandemicanditsrelatedcriseshas Globally, we have witnessed a regression in genderexposedandwidenedthegaps,inequalitiesand equalityandareturntoarelianceupongenderinjustices that SI and other feminist and womens stereotypeswhichharmindividuals,families,organizationshavebeenworkingsohardto communities, economies and countries. COVID-19eliminateacrossthethreepillarsofsustainable has revealed and entrenched the inequalities thatdevelopment. Allwomenand girlsacrossthelife existinourworldtoday.Itwillbeimpossible tocourse remain the most vulnerable and most likely overcomeCOVID-19andachievesustainableto be left behind. development without addressing these inequalities. The COVID-19 vaccine distribution and vaccination It was abundantly clear that the world was off-trackcrisishighlightstheinequalitiesandfurther toachievetheSDGsby2030wellbeforethedemonstratestheneedtochangesystemsthat pandemic. Progress has been slowing on even well- create inequalities between countries and people. It established aims which pre-existed the Sustainableis not good enough to go back to normalcythis DevelopmentGoals.Forexample,despitegoodnormal itself was the direct cause that made so progressbetween1995and2015onpovertymany communities vulnerable, unequal and unjust, eradication, now SDG1, in recent years actions to liftthe time is now to be bold and take action to build peopleoutofpovertyarenothavingthesameforward better. impact. Thisismorethan simplya problemwith 1'