Coronavirus, Gender Equality, Migration Human rights activist discusses pandemic’s impact on refugee women at Perry World House event

Former political prisoner and human rights activist Wai Wai Nu discussed the unique impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on health, work, and information for women refugees.

Perry World House hosted the virtual event, entitled "COVID-Induced Crises and Refugee Women's Livelihoods," on April 16. Nu, the founder and executive director of Women Peace Network in Myanmar, shared her experiences working with women in refugee camps and camps for internally displaced people across Asia. She also identified how displaced women have overcome pandemic-related challenges, and offered recommendations for improving refugee and internally displaced women's access to dignified work, health care, and housing.

Nu said that the three main ways the pandemic has disproportionately impacted internally displaced women are through job loss, decreased access to women-friendly spaces, and an increase in domestic violence. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic does not discriminate in terms of infections and [COVID-19] itself does not discriminate people," Nu said during the event. "However, the impact of [COVID-19] has disproportionately affected refugees, internally displaced people and even the most vulnerable groups among them. People [with disabilities], elderly [people], and women are uniquely affected by COVID-19.”

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