The first-ever government forum on gender equality will be held on the theme of the gendered impacts of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Korean Ministry of Gender Equality said Tuesday.

The ministry said the forum, to take place online Thursday and Friday, aims to discuss and highlight the different ways the public health crisis is affecting women and men.

The forum was launched to mark the anniversaries of two United Nations milestones -- the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action, a declaration on how to achieve equality for girls and women, and the 2000 security council resolution on women, peace and security.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in an April policy brief that the spread of COVID-19 has put “the limited progress that has been made on gender equality and women’s rights” at risk of being undone.

“The pandemic is deepening pre-existing inequalities, exposing vulnerabilities in social, political and economic systems,” he said. “The impacts of COVID-19 are exacerbated for women and girls simply by virtue of their sex.”

Korea’s Gender Minister Lee Jung-ok said in a press release that women were more prone to job losses and pay cuts in the pandemic, while having to take on more unpaid care work. Domestic violence against women has also intensified as people spend more time at home.

“I hope the forum will provide a platform for shaping the dialogue on women’s empowerment in the COVID-19 era,” she said.

The ministry said the event will open with an address by President Moon Jae-in, to be followed by video remarks from officials in charge of gender issues from Norway, Denmark and Finland. Scholars and activists from Korea, India, Mexico, Canada and the United States will lead the four discussion sessions.

The forum will be broadcast live on the ministry’s YouTube channel and website, http://www.mogef.go.kr/kgef/eng/main.do. No prior registration is required.

By Kim Arin (arin@heraldcorp.com)