NEW YORK (GZERO MEDIA) - Even though they make up a reported 39 per cent of the world's workforce, women have accounted for 54 per cent of the jobs lost over the past year, observes American political scientist Ian Bremmer.

This is in stark contrast to the number of women who are themselves heavily involved in the pandemic as essential workers, with a reported 70 per cent of community health and social workers globally being women.

In his interview with executive director of UN Women and the UN's top advocate for gender equality Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, they touch on the progress made so far on women's rights and the outlook for women as the world progressively makes it out of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka notes that an estimated 11 million girls will not go back to school after the pandemic, which further hampers the future of securing gender equality.

She also points out that women have lost jobs in large numbers because they were previously in unsecured jobs without benefits and safeguards, especially in the informal sector.

A pertinent issue is that policies need to move away from being gender-blind, with efforts dedicated to not only recognising but also addressing the needs of women as a distinct part of the population.

This GZERO media video is being shown here as part of a media partnership agreement with The Straits Times.