Gender-sensitive risk management is needed to protect female workers, says Dr. Asanka Wijesinghe

25 – 27 October 2024

IPS Research Fellow Dr. Asanka Wijesinghe, speaking at a panel session hosted by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) at the 30th Annual Canadian Conference on Global Health (CCGH), emphasised the necessity for gender-sensitive pandemic response plans, appropriate housing, and unemployment insurance to mitigate the health and livelihood risks faced by female garment industry workers. He also praised the public and private sector collaborations during the pandemic response and noted that such partnerships could be further improved to better address future outbreaks.

Dr. Wijesinghe highlighted the importance of mobilising existing funds during health emergencies, such as unemployment benefits, which can reduce the economic impact of a pandemic and increase the resilience of female workers.

Dr. Asanka Wijesinghe pointed out that while there is evidence supporting women’s representation in decision-making processes, it is unclear whether they are actively involved in these roles. He further stressed the importance of gender-sensitive policy solutions to boost female workers’ access to healthcare and the capacity to quarantine during a pandemic, even though reducing both economic and health damage is a major priority in such a situation.

Dr. Wijesinghe made these remarks while presenting key findings from the research study “Improving Pandemic Responses to Reduce Adverse Health Effects on Women Workers in Sri Lanka’s Export Sector” at the panel session titled, “Supporting Women in the Face of the Crisis: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond.” This research is a collaborative effort between the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, the University of Ottawa, and the National Planning Department of Sri Lanka, and funded by IDRC.

CCGH, hosted by The Canadian Association for Global Health (CAGH), took place at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada, from October 25th to 27th, 2024.