Inequality in the face of COVID-19: how grassroots communities are taking action

The coronavirus pandemic has exposed the inequalities for groups that are particularly vulnerable to disasters, such as female-headed households, children, people with disabilities, indigenous and ethnic minority groups, landless tenants, migrant workers, older people, and other socially marginalised groups.

People living in densely populated informal settlements fall into this highly vulnerable category, with poor access to public services including health care, water, and sanitation. It is these communities that are also on the frontline of the climate crisis.

This online event will bring speakers from social movements and networks working with indigenous people, people living in informal settlements and women working in the informal economy, to reflect on the response of their communities to COVID-19.

The event will examine inequalities in impacts and coping strategies and discuss mechanisms to address inequality and manage future risks and shocks.

How do we make room for innovation, how do we become more accepting of risk and increased experimentation? And what we can learn that will help us tackle the climate crisis?