The COVID-19 pandemic has caused more job and income loss across the globe than any of us have seen in our lifetime. Data collected by the IDB’s COVID-19 Labor Observatory indicate that more than 30 million jobs have been lost in Latin America and the Caribbean. And while the effects of the pandemic for specific population groups have still not been fully documented, we are … [Read more...] about Bringing LGBTQ+ people to the Center of COVID-19 Economic Recovery
diversity
Numbers too big to ignore
In Trinidad and Tobago, technically, there is no greater time to be born a woman than now. On average, female life expectancy at birth is the highest it has ever been. The maternal mortality rate is at its lowest over the past decade. Girls are spending more time in school than ever before, and more of them are attaining at least a secondary level of education than their male … [Read more...] about Numbers too big to ignore
Data for Equality
In the realm of public polices, data is a great diagnostician. Much like x-rays and blood tests, data helps to identify where the problems lie and to uncover their causes. Without such information, how can we possibly treat our social ills? Today is the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOTB), a global annual landmark dedicated to increasing … [Read more...] about Data for Equality
No great equalizer
As we have struggled to navigate the current crisis, we have heard the coronavirus referred to as a “great equalizer”. These claims, however, were swiftly rebuked. While the virus can indeed affect any one of us, we know that individuals with preexisting medical conditions are extremely vulnerable. And pre-existing social and economic inequalities can be just as devastating. … [Read more...] about No great equalizer
Exposure and Inequalities: African Descendants During COVID-19
Initial evidence that COVID-19 is reaching Afro descendant communities in Latin America is growing. Statistics in Brazil show that Afro-Brazilians are more likely to have severe respiratory symptoms that are lethal (more than 20%), while the Colombian Pacific coast, with a large Afro-Colombian and indigenous population, registered the first cases of coronavirus weeks ago, and … [Read more...] about Exposure and Inequalities: African Descendants During COVID-19