COVID-19 presents a challenge to us all, but to simply call this a health crisis doesn't paint the full picture. Deeply embedded social and economic inequalities are exacerbated at times of crisis, and this is no exception.

The challenges that so many were dealing with prior to COVID-19 have not disappeared. The challenges we are anticipating in the coming years are still on their way. It's time to think differently.

In Australia, women make up the majority of those who have lost their jobs, are shouldering a bigger share of unpaid childcare, and are at increased risk of domestic violence.

In poorer countries, women are facing similar challenges, with greater severity.

In Fiji, one in three workers are out of a job or on reduced hours. Tourism is a huge source of employment in the island nation, especially for women, but the sector has been brought to its knees and the damage is flowing on to other parts of the economy.

In Papua New Guinea, domestic violence helplines have had to put on extra staff to cope with an increase in calls.

These examples are about much more than just the effects of COVID-19 itself. The cascading impacts are rippling out through every facet of society and could undo a lot of progress.

Since 1990, more than 1.2 billion people have risen out of extreme poverty. Much of this success has been attributed to women and girls having better access to education, healthcare, jobs and leadership roles.

Now the UN is warning the current crisis could cause global poverty to rise for the first time since 1990, and progress on women's rights is under attack.

But it doesn't have to be this way. Throughout history, crises have disrupted the very things people believed were unchangeable, giving them the chance to do things differently.

Women's work on the home front during the Second World War sowed important seeds for the Women's Liberation movement. Syrian refugee women told CARE that setting up life in neighbouring countries had caused them and their families to rethink men's and women's traditional roles.

A seismic disruption to the existing way of life can be a chance for societies to pause, reflect, learn and consider the positive possibilities.

So what would it take to bring about a fairer world, post-COVID?

Firstly, it would require listening. Since March, CARE has surveyed 10,000 people in 38 countries to understand how the pandemic has impacted them. The research - which focused mostly on developing countries - found women's lives were significantly more disrupted than men's.

Women were more likely to have lost their incomes, be skipping meals in order to feed their families, and were spending much more time than men on unpaid housework and caregiving. They were also almost three times more likely to report deteriorating mental health.

These findings suggest more investment in women's economic security and mental wellbeing is needed, as well as a significant shift in the way we value caregiving work.

Secondly, we need more diverse leadership. Back in June, we analysed 30 countries' COVID-19 leadership teams, and found they were overwhelmingly male-dominated.

With so few women at the table, it's no wonder the UN has said most countries are failing to adequately protect women and girls during the pandemic.

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Local decision-making matters too. In Vanuatu, where climate-related disasters are common, CARE has trained women and people with disabilities to lead their villages in disaster preparation and recovery. Not only does this mean the needs of these groups aren't overlooked, it also brings them respect and recognition.

As a young woman called Sabrina told CARE after she helped lead her village's recovery from Cyclone Pam: "Sometimes people see me as just a girl ... but now they listen to me."

As for policy specifics, the COVID-19 crisis has created a unique set of challenges in each country, requiring unique, locally led solutions.

For Australia's Pacific neighbours - most of which have so far avoided significant outbreaks of the virus - the social and economic reverberations of a global pandemic are causing the most disruption. For Pacific nations already grappling with the existential threat of climate change, the COVID-19 crisis layers challenges upon challenges.

As for Australia, now is the time to safeguard the gains we've invested in by increasing aid to poorer countries, not decreasing it.

It's time to listen to people on the ground - especially women and others whose experiences and opinions are too often overlooked. It's time to embed our economies and our societies with more care.

Doing so will be the difference between looking back and saying the crisis of the 2020s dragged us backwards, or propelled us forwards towards a more equal world.