Social workers are more important than ever as we face down Covid-19

International Social Work Day comes as the world faces a global crisis courtesy of the Covid-19 coronavirus.

Covid-19 is a rude awakening for the world as it affirms the interdependency we have on each other on a local, national and global level.

The awakening is quite fitting, given that the International Federation for Social Workers has declared this year’s theme “promoting the importance of human relationships”.

The Covid-19 outbreak, which originated in China has infected and affected tens of thousands of people while claiming the lives of many across the globe.

As South Africa joins other countries in a national shutdown as a form of preventative measures, this presents an opportunity for reflection, particularly for those in power.

The coincidental nature of this year’s theme is that it forces us into a global conversation that seeks to interrogate the current socioeconomic and political structures with a deliberate focus on how they operate as instruments to serve humankind through improved social policies and service delivery.

The outbreak is exposing how our governments have reduced (resource allocation and lack of political will) the importance of the wellbeing of the citizens who put them in power.

Public healthcare, access to information, access to water and sanitation, basic nutrition and housing have been the biggest concerns for countries affected by the outbreak, more so for developing countries such as South Africa.

As an aspiring feminist social worker, the perpetual decline of the state’s capacity to provide decent social welfare services to people in our country is worrisome. It is particularly disturbing given the reality that South Africa remains the most unequal society in the world; inequalities that are not natural but are historically constructed by politics and power.

There is a need now more than ever for our country’s government to reconsider how it prioritises the wellbeing of the people it serves.

As social workers we believe in the endless possibilities of accelerating social development through prioritising the co-determining relationships between people, communities and nations in order to address social, economic, political and ecological challenges we face.

Therefore on International Social Work Day, I urge us to not undermine the significant and necessary role social workers play in advancing people, communities and nations to bring about sustainable and equitable change for all.

Social workers need to remain committed to the strengthening of the political dimension of our profession in order to build critical thinking and historical consciousness that will foster a culture of social development while promoting an inclusive and diverse society for all.

Keitumetse Fatimata Moutloatse is a feminist social worker currently completing her honours degree in social work at the Wits. She is the founder and chairperson of Black Womxn Caucus, a social movement that advocates against gender based violence and its manifestations on a micro, meso and macro level. She has also been named the change maker of the year for 2019/2020 by Wits University

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