Giving Compass' Take:

• Thomas O'Brien and Jozefien Van Damme, writing for Global Citizen, explain why investing in women can help African countries protect against COVID-19.

• How is investing in women important all over the world? Why should we maintain a focus on women's health and well-being after the pandemic? How are you investing in women in your community?

• Find funds to invest in women's coronavirus response efforts.

People in Africa across all identities have been significantly impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, both directly and by its indirect impacts, such as stopping people being able to go out to work, forcing school closures, and heightening existing inequalities.

But Africa’s women and girls, already faced with deep inequities, are being distinctly impacted by the crisis.

Disease outbreaks consistently disrupt routine health services, with COVID-19 too putting reproductive health and the provision of contraceptives at risk. Maternal deaths could spike with an increase of up to nearly 40% per month, according to an article published in health journal The Lancet in May.

Women have also been falling victim to increased violence and abuse. In South Africa, for example, authorities received almost 90,000 reports of violence against women in the first week of its lockdown. In Somalia, a noticeable increase in female genital mutilation (FGM) has been reported while girls have been stuck at home.

Investing in Africa’s female population may be the smartest investment the continent can make, particularly in the face of the coronavirus.

Research done by the World Bank shows that reducing gender inequality in Guinea could increase per capita gross domestic product (GDP) by up to 10.2% by 2035. In Ethiopia, closing gender gaps in agricultural productivity and entrepreneurship alone would bring an annual return of $2.2 billion, or 3.3% of total GDP.

Investments in women and girls do not have to be expensive. African governments spend on average $482 per primary student per year. For each extra year of school, a girl in Africa will earn on average 14% more.

Confronted with COVID-19, Africa needs a pragmatic, high return recipe that saves lives, livelihoods, and builds for the future. Empowering women and girls is the key ingredient.

Read the full article about investing in women during COVID in Africa by Thomas O'Brien and Jozefien Van Damme at Global Citizen.