Integrating gender and inclusion in social protection response to COVID-19: What have we learnt?

COVID-19 has exacerbated existing inequalities for women and girls and persons with disabilities. During the pandemic, women have been more likely than men to drop out of the labour force, have shouldered an unequal burden of unpaid care work, and are facing increased threats from gender-based violence (GBV) linked to lockdowns and financial stress (UNFPA 2020; Peterman and O’Donnell, 2020, UN Women, 2020). The pandemic has also increased the risk of poverty amongst people with disabilities (Banks et al., 2021). This paper provides a snapshot of how SP responses to the COVID-19 crisis have integrated gender equality and social inclusion into programme design and implementation.