In a message alluding to March 8, International Women's Day, the first lady said that covid-19 enabled women to show their resilience and stand out in different areas, in the search for answers and solutions: "We saw the active participation of a number of women in different areas of knowledge, in the search for solutions, in taking measures and in the front line in the fight against the pandemic and in the treatment of patients.
Among the women who shone during the pandemic were those in positions linked to defense agencies, mothers, health professionals, scientists and teachers, she considered.
"It was and is essentially women who were and are the ones who were most committed to raising the awareness of the population to comply with biosecurity measures and promote health and well-being for all citizens, especially children and the elderly," recalled the First Lady.
Ana Dias Lourenço also showed concern about the situations that the population will have to face in the post-pandemic context and anticipated that solving problems that worsened due to the confinement and economic crisis will be the society's biggest challenge.
The pandemic caused several negative impacts on society, and problems such as domestic violence, unemployment, and gender-based violence have worsened with the arrival of covid-19, she considered.
For Ana Dias Lourenço, in critical moments of crisis, women are the ones who have more difficulty in keeping their jobs "because they are asked to stay at home to take care of the children, the family.
We must value the "skills acquired by women in the professional, family and social contexts" and sensitize "all of society, particularly companies and other employers, to incorporate the principles of gender equality and non-discrimination and parenting," she said.
Sexual education and the strengthening of family planning and all measures that can prevent pregnancy in adolescence, access to prenatal care and safe and humanized birth are the priorities highlighted by Ana Dias Lourenço.
"I continue to defend the bet on education as absolutely essential for an integrated and sustainable development. I am convinced that we cannot achieve this goal without building a platform for partnerships and solidarity in a national and international context, and one that has strong roots in the Portuguese-speaking space on the African continent, but also in the context of the United Nations," reads the message.
