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WHEREAS, the American Psychological Association reported that national crises such as natural disasters and recent COVID-19 stay-at-home lockdown measures ramp up stress within households, increasing risk of domestic violence and child abuse because victims are "trapped" indoors with their abuser; and WHEREAS, the United Nations (UN) released "The Impact of COVID-19 on Women," a policy brief that emphasized the devastating consequences of the pandemic for women and girls, and identified three priorities that would have meaningful impact on women and girls - and society at large - if pursued: 1) ensure women's equal representation in all COVID-19 response planning and decision-making; 2) drive transformative change for equality by addressing the care economy, paid and unpaid; and 3) target women and girls in all efforts to address the socio- economic impact of COVID-19; and WHEREAS, the Hawai`i State Commission on the Status of Women (HSCSW) published"Building Bridges, Not Walking on Backs," the nation's first feminist economic recovery plan for COVID-19, which highlights numerous key and emerging principles and recommendations designed to build a system that is capable of delivering gender equality; and WHEREAS, COVID-19 represents an opportunity to spend federal stimulus dollars and enact meaningful policy in a way that is designed with gender equality in mind; now, therefore; BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII that the County of Hawai`i's COVID-19 Task Force review the UN report on COVID-19 impacts on women and the (HSCSW) feminist economic recovery plan to ensure coronavirus response and recovery initiatives create a more just and resilient Hawai`i Island. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Administration is strongly urged to view this pandemic through a gendered lens and incorporate principles of equity, inclusion, social and economic justice, championed in the UN report and (HSCSW) plan, into County-run COVID-19 programs, into language on County printed materials and digital communications, as well as into County initiated requests for proposals centered on COVID-19 response and recovery efforts. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Administration recognize the specific vulnerability women and girls face in this pandemic and make every effort to proactively and consistently engage with the Hawai`i County Committee on the Status of Women as well as women and girls in our community in order to inform COVID-19 related decisions. 2