In March 2020, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the world in unforeseen ways. Women were predisposed to the adverse outcomes of the virus, accompanied by climate crises and low food security. A 2022 UNDP and UN Women report analysed nearly 5,000 measures implemented by 226 countries and territories. The report highlighted women’s continued disadvantage on the front line in treatment, policymaking representation, and leadership. In India, this manifested as a mere 12.5 percent of the membership in the National Task Force for COVID-19 being women.

The underrepresentation of women in biosafety, health, and even biosecurity is a critical issue that warrants immediate attention, especially in light of the rapidly evolving biosecurity landscape.

The underrepresentation of women in biosafety, health, and even biosecurity is a critical issue that warrants immediate attention, especially in light of the rapidly evolving biosecurity landscape. While male dominance in other security fields, such as nuclear security, is widely acknowledged and the need for greater female representation in these areas is often highlighted, the same urgency has not been applied to biosecurity. This oversight is significant, as biosecurity has unique implications for underrepresented genders that remain largely unaddressed. The absence of gender diversity in decision-making roles can lead to blind spots in policy development, where gender-specific vulnerabilities and perspectives are overlooked. This gap is particularly concerning in the context of biosecurity, where the impacts of threats such as pandemics and biological attacks can vary significantly across different genders.

Read more at: https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/gender-representation-in-biosecurity-leadership