— Irene Natividad
chairs Corporate Women Directors International of GlobeWomen Research & Education Institute based in Washington, DC.

The opinions expressed in this article is solely those of the author.

Sometimes it takes a disaster to pull the curtain away and make evident to everyone what was always there but not known widely. COVID19 has been doing precisely that and in the process points the finger to new directions for the re-set that must occur for a better post-pandemic world IF we assume rational leadership and grassroots acceptance. So what are these ‘truths’?

COVID19 revealed the direct line between healthcare and a growth economy for the first time. Previously seen as a nice benefit to have, only those who didn’t have it – women, minorities, immigrants – understood healthcare as an economic priority. A sickened labor force or workers who fear infections do not spell future productivity, so making healthcare affordable and accessible to everyone is a 21st century MUST.

COVID19 revealed that the majority of the world’s workers are employed not by large corporations but by an ‘army’ of small and medium-sized businesses – from dry cleaners, neighborhood bistros to small manufacturers. Yet, these enterprises are most likely to be vulnerable to economic shocks like the pandemic, are dependent upon ongoing financing for growth and rely on customer receipts for cash flow. The relief packages of forgivable loans for small businesses currently rolled out by governments should continue and be part of a permanent safety net for these owners who create jobs for most of our workers.

COVID19 revealed that briefcase-toting managers and white collar workers aren’t those who kept our lives going during lockdowns and stay-at-home mandates. Rightfully identified and saluted by the media who defined the ‘essential’ workers – healthcare workers, grocery store workers, garbage collectors, food producers, etc. – who kept working tend to be minimum wage, contractual or part-time workers with no benefits. The best way to recognize their importance in our lives is to support raising minimum wage, give opportunity for full-time employment and promotions, and yes, health benefits. Costly you say? Yes, but imagine what would happen if they can’t work or refuse to work.

COVID19 revealed the importance of caregiving, seen primarily as women’s work but which working couples now had to address together during lockdowns. Male partners came to see how hard and important is this unpaid work, which some began to share. For years, women have clamored for paid family leave and flexible schedules to enable them to integrate work at home with work at work. Well, the pandemic proved that remote working is not only possible but also productive, which is why Silicon Valley tech companies have now told their employees to continue doing so. More companies should follow.

COVID19 also revealed a direct line between human activity and greenhouse emissions dismissed often by climate change deniers. The lockdowns that kept people, cars, airplanes and factories inactive resulted in clearer air and scenic vistas from New Delhi to Los Angeles, cleaner Venetian canals and animals from penguins to tigers emerging from forests and crossing empty highways. This shows that we may have a window to a green economy by turning faster to renewable energy and accelerating the shift to environmentally friendly transport.

Lastly, COVID19 revealed yet again that voting matters. Whom you chose to lead your country, city, or town made the difference between quick, coherent and decisive action against the pandemic, or denials and delays that lost precious time. As citizens, we gained a clear view of the life-and-death stakes of government decision-making. The lesson is an old one -- we must not only exercise that precious right to select our leaders, but we must be informed voters.

This pandemic has been described in terms of superlatives – the biggest unemployment rate since the Great Depression, the largest death rate globally and rising, the largest number of businesses declaring bankruptcy, the largest drop in carbon emissions since 2006 – so experts predict a changed post-COVID19 world. That new normal can be a brave new world if we learn from the lessons already unveiling before our eyes.