As COVID-19 continues to have devastating impacts around the world, immediate debt cancellation is needed to ensure women in low-income countries don’t plunge deeper into poverty.
We’re in the midst of the largest global humanitarian crisis, yet countries like Ghana, Bangladesh and Indonesia are paying off huge debts to other governments, the IMF and the World Bank––rather than spending on critical public services such as healthcare and education.
And women and girls are paying the price. COVID-19 job losses are hitting women the hardest and deepening their economic insecurity; closures of schools and childcare services are magnifying women’s unpaid work; and evidence is showing a rapid spike in violence against women across the world.
Women are leading the way in responding to these challenges, but with public services increasingly overwhelmed and resources lacking, many are struggling to access the support they need.
If wealthy countries like Australia use their influence to push international creditors to #CancelTheDebt, low-income countries could ramp up their response to COVID-19, save lives, and spend more on the urgent needs of their communities to advance human rights and gender equality. ActionAid supporters like you can push the Australian Government to use its power and influence to work with the IMF and G20 countries to cancel debt and increase aid to low-income countries. Will you join us?
