Palestinian children, along with women, have been disproportionately impacted by Israel’s retaliatory actions, which have included bombardments and a ground offensive.

Jalalzai believes that women leaders often bring a distinct set of skills and experiences to the table, including a propensity for collaborative approaches and advocacy for marginalized groups.

With higher mortality rates for women and children, lack of access to infrastructure and medication, and the high cost of medication, Africa needs smart interventions to overcome the barriers to healthcare access and adoption.

While this pandemic may have created new forms of exclusion, strategies and tools exist to address health promotion, whilst continuing to communicate for peace in conflict-affected contexts. The design of an integrated peacebuilding and technical health response, which is sensitive to individual conflicts’ dynamics and keeps in mind communication challenges such as misinformation, mistrust and reduced interpersonal contact, is crucial.

“That’s not to say that microfinance won’t help the very poor, rather that there needs to be a recognition that microfinance isn’t the only thing that can work", argues Oxford Microfinance Initiative’s President Vicente Solera Deuchar.

Patriarchy still posits deep-rooted challenges hindering women’s engagement with electoral politics in India. However, several steps in the country’s developmental approach have indicated a positive change in women’s participation as voters and as elected representatives.