b'Soroptimist InternationalReport for the High-Level Political Forum EXECUTIVE SUMMARYTo recover from COVID-19, it is vital to re-focus ona violation of their human rights and must be dealt education.Despitesignificantinvestmentsinwith,withtheutmosturgency.Thepandemic educationwomenandgirlsarestillleftbehind.pushed many people to live their lives wholly within Women and girls have missed out on education andthe home, and behind closed doors gender-based training during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many willviolence is quickly viewed as a private problem. neverreturntoeducation.FromworkingwithGender-basedviolencecannotbeconsidereda communities, we know that the realities of a lack ofprivate problem, but a public problem created and educationhitshard.Povertyratesareincreasing,facilitated by societal attitudes, permissive laws and and there is a regressive shift to traditional genderpolicies, lack of access to justice and the subjugation rolesandcaringresponsibilitiesfallingupontheof women and girls.shoulders of women and girls. Without significant efforthard-wonprogressonsustainableSustainable development must place the interests developmentwillbelost.Toooften,womenandofpeopleandtheplanetatitscore.Intodays girls are only seen as recipients of education andworld, many decisions are being made and actions training.However,theypossessknowledgeandtaken that prioritise power, military strength, and experiences which make them agents of change andprofits to the detriment of people. This must end. essential contributors to sustainable development.Soon it will be too late to make meaningful change Womensandgirlsleadershipmustthereforebetosavetheplanetandachievesustainable used to find and develop sustainable solutions.development. Now is the time to act. Women and girls have repeatedly proven to be successful agents Gender-based violence, while always prevalent, hasofchange:whentheyaretherecipientsof made a despicable resurgence during the COVID-19sustainabledevelopmentprogrammes,they pandemictosuchasignificantextentthatithastransform societies for the better. To build forward beenlabelledashadowepidemic.Thisviolencebetter from COVID-19 more women and girls should committedagainstwomenandgirlsinalltheirbe enabled to lead, return to education, and work multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination isfor the changes we need. CORE CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS: Review, change and establish laws and policies, ensuring that they take a gender transformative approach and contribute to the achievement of gender equality. This must include emergency policies and laws enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Expandopportunitiestokick-startsmallandmediumbusinesses,includingthroughinvestmentsinlifelong learning, training and education, which facilitate women and girls to be financially independent and own economic resources. Pay particular attention to the multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and violence faced by women and girls who are refugees and internally displaced persons and fully resource partnerships which support them. Eradicate all forms of gender-based violence, both in conflict and in peacetime and use education as a tool to changesocialattitudesandshareinformationonsourcesforsupport,andbystrengtheninglawsand accountability processes. Dedicate more resources, including financing, towards achieving gender equality and fully fund multistakeholder partnerships that recognise the expertise and existing work of civil society organisations.Use multiple forms of data, including qualitative data, to design, implement and assess the impact and success of gender equality programmes and projects.'