Why 2020 was defined by remarkable women | The Stream

In a year of overwhelmingly bad news, the grit, stamina and perseverance of women across the world has stood out.

At The Stream, we have worked hard to ensure their achievements are highlighted and amplified. In 2019, we pledged we would never again complete a calendar year without at least 50:50 female representation.

As we close out 2020 we are proud to report that we exceeded our goal for the second year running. This year 55.98 percent of our guests were female and 44.02 percent were male.

That commitment to amplifying women’s voices was particularly important during the coronavirus pandemic. Women make up 70 percent of healthcare workers across the world. Globally, COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on women of colour. There are also broader consequences of the virus for reproductive, maternal, and child health that are likely to have an impact for generations to come.

A recent article in Stat described the importance of amplifying the perspectives of women in 2020: “If women’s views as scientists, health care providers, public health officials, parents, and caregivers are excluded from news stories, their perspectives aren’t included in solutions that will address their particular concerns and challenges. There is a very real risk that gender inequalities will limit the success of the Covid-19 response if we are not able to address gender gaps and allow space for women’s voices and women’s stories."

In this episode of The Stream, we meet a panel of remarkable women to discuss women on the frontlines of the pandemic, to consider the election of Kamala Harris as US vice president and to find out why Nigeria's huge #EndSARS movement was driven by female activists.

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