Even in Pacific Island countries where there have been few or no cases of COVID-19, the pandemic is having a disproportionate, negative impact on women’s economic activities and their control over the income they earn. But can the challenges being faced be converted into an opportunity to re-define economic systems to assist women to equitably participate in, and benefit from, national economies? Panelists from Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Tuvalu discussed this idea at Pacific Women’s first webinar on Women’s Economic Empowerment and COVID-19 in the Pacific, on 22 July 2020. They explored the impact of COVID-19 on women’s livelihoods and efforts to assist women, particularly those working in the informal economy.
