MONROVIA, Montserrado – Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor is warning that violence against women and girls has worsened in African countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the African Leadership Magazine 2020 Africa Summit over the weekend, the vice president delivered the keynote address, where she emphasized the need to prioritize the empowerment of women and girls in Africa during and after the Coronavirus pandemic.

Vice President Taylor noted that in Africa, women and girls are among the most vulnerable groups exposed to the negative impact of the pandemic.

“Domestic violence, sexual harassment, and abuse of women and girls during the COVID-19 pandemic have further worsened under lockdown conditions across African countries,” Howard-Taylor said.

The vice president urged African leaders to begin strategizing on how to deal with the economic impact of the pandemic on women and girls.

Despite the gloomy global picture, she called for policymakers to showcase Africa as the new frontier.

Howard-Taylor told participants at the summit that solutions to addressing the impact of the pandemic are embedded in a recent statement made by South African president Cyril Ramaphosa. In the statement, the South African president said Africa needs to institute a system of good governance, take responsibility for the continent’s growth, and take advantage of the opportunities brought forth by COVID-19.

Howard-Taylor joined Ramaphosa to call on Africans to begin reprogramming and implementing strategies to enhance the development of Africa to discourage young Africans from seeking better opportunities outside the continent.

Featured photo by Zeze Ballah