Female health and social care workers deliver the majority of care in all settings and the barriers they face at work undermine their own well-being and constrain progress on gender equality. As demands for health care rise due to COVID-19, existing challenges are exacerbated and new pressures for health and social care workers are created worldwide. Women clustered into lower status and lower paid jobs in the global health workforce are at higher risk of COVID-19 infection, compounded by exhaustion and mental stress.

In partnership with the Johnson and Johnson Center for Health Worker Innovation, Women in Global Health (WGH) are producing a series of Women, Leadership and Power digital Action Labs to highlight women’s contribution during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Each Action Lab will address one of the WGH Five Asks for Global Health Security.

The second lab in this series (24th September, 9 am- 10:30 EST) will address Ask 2: Provide health workers, most of whom are women, with safe and decent working conditions. We welcome a range of speakers from across the health and social workforce to take part in a participatory discussion to address the challenges COVID-19 has placed on their sector.