(Reposted from vday.org)

The rapid spread of coronavirus across the globe has revealed what has always been a glaring truth for so many of the essential workers who are the backbone of our society: inequity. From the people who pick our food to the people who deliver our packages, it is the working class and poor who are most vulnerable to the virus and the economic disaster that COVID-19 has laid bare. So often these frontline workers are women. Many of them are activists, young leaders, and women who are part of our movement.

In response to these increasing needs, V-Day launched the RISING IN THE TIME OF CORONA EMERGENCY FUND in March 2020 to support grassroots activists leading their communities’ response to Covid-19. Funds raised have provided rapid response support to needs on the ground across our movement.

In India as we write, activists are mobilizing their networks to find medical supplies amidst the terrifying Covid-19 crisis that has over the past weeks. As we have seen in other communities, during times of government paralysis and lack of action, activists step in to fill in the gaps in care, holding their communities tight and rising with love amidst devastating odds.

“We are witnessing a crime against humanity. It’s hard to convey the full depth and range of the trauma, the chaos and the indignity that people are being subjected to.” –Arundhati Roy in The Guardian, 28 April 2021

India is not alone. From Kenya to Guatemala to Thailand, we are hearing about great need from across our vast global network. While some are struggling with isolation and increased proximity to potentially violent situations within their homes, others are struggling with making rent, feeding their families and accessing masks and protective gear to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

Workers and health care professionals in every country are on the front lines of the crisis, risking their lives to take care of other people, to keep food on the shelves, to deliver necessary services, and to heal those who are sick. For so many survivors, home is not a safe place. Advocates worldwide are providing shelter as well as posting information and resources online. Activists throughout our V-Day, One Billion Rising and City of Joy networks are taking leadership, meeting increased needs of their immediate communities.

This Mother’s Day, please consider supporting the RISING IN THE TIME OF CORONA EMERGENCY FUND and help us provide rapid response grants to those impacted.