The female frontline
11 February marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. To celebrate the occasion, we're paying tribute to the incredible contribution of women to the COVID-19 response globally. The coronavirus pandemic has put unprecedented pressure on health workers. Some are working around the clock to care for patients. Others are increasing…, Warriors on the ward in Haryana, India, India’s health system has been stretched to the breaking point many times during the pandemic, with the bulk of the caring burden on women. Women are estimated to make up to 30 per cent of doctors and more than 80 per cent of nurses and midwives. Medical staff in India and around the world have saved millions of lives, often while risking their…, Men, follow my lead, Mariam is a Malian refugee. She became the first woman to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the M’Berra refugee camp, in south-east Mauritania. “We often face misinformation," says Mariam, as she speaks about life in the camp. “Many people are illiterate, so it's 'word of mouth' that prevails. It is thanks to vaccination that we can all get out of…, Putting patients first, "I live with my husband, three children and my mother, who is 80 years old. I was still breastfeeding when I started work at the COVID-19 intensive care unit,” says Jennifer Boateng, a Senior Pharmacist at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital in Ghana. “I was truly terrified of contracting the virus and putting my family at risk,” she remembers. “…, No one is safe until everyone is safe, Female health workers from a clinic in Kupang, Indonesia, travel to local communities to hold vaccination events. Indonesia has felt the impact of the pandemic, with one of the highest death tolls worldwide. More than 25,000 children have lost at least one parent to COVID-19. Across Indonesia, the COVID-19 response is also being supported by…, On the ground at the world's largest supply and logistics hub for children, Etleva Kadilli is the Director of UNICEF’s Supply Division, where women represent more than half of the workforce in a traditionally male-dominated sector. In 2021, over $6.2 billion worth of goods and services was procured by UNICEF. The pandemic brought an exponential demand for COVID-19-related supply items, such as personal protective…, Life-saving information, Victoria is a social mobilizer in Yambio, South Sudan. She's part of UNICEF's Social and Behaviour Change programme, which engages children, youth and communities on issues that affect them. Access to information is an enormous challenge in South Sudan. Insecurity, displacement, illiteracy, poverty, gender inequities and the fact that 83 per cent…, The kids are on board, Twelve-year-old Jessica from the Himalaya Boarding School in Kathmandu, Nepal, receives a COVID-19 vaccine from a female health worker. Nepal’s health service is bolstered by more than 50,000 female community health volunteers . Their role has extended during the pandemic, to include informing the public about preventative measures, such as…, Incredibly dedicated, Daria Shulha, 32, is a doctor at Kharkiv’s Infectious Diseases Hospital in Ukraine. “We see patients at the stage that it will take an incredible effort to bring them back to life,” says Daria. The intensive care department where Daria works has six beds. Some of her patients have been hospitalized for several weeks. “After such a long time, you…, Sharing science to reduce hesitancy, Young women in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, listen to UNICEF’s Bérangère Antoine explain how and why the COVID-19 vaccines work. At a workshop, one participant shares: “I was afraid to get vaccinated until now. After the awareness session, the fear diminishes.” UNICEF's Bérangère Antoine explains the benefits of the vaccine against COVID-19 during a…, Big sister! V is for vaccinated, Tomilyn, 10, holds her newborn baby sister in Buéa Regional Hospital, Cameroon. She was delivered by one of the world's 1.9 million midwives, 93 per cent of whom are women. COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of serious illness if women get COVID-19 during pregnancy . Tomilyn says that she already understands the importance of vaccinations and…
