COVID-19 Research: Gender and COVID-19

This paper takes a look at the global evidence on the gendered impact of Covid-19. It includes Concern’s multi-country quantitative research carried out with the Alliance 2015 in 23 countries as well as findings from Concern’s qualitative research in Sierra Leone, Bangladesh, Somalia and Malawi that took place in four rounds between June and September 2020.

The paper finds that while some of the immediate impacts have started to improve as restrictions have eased, many will have lifelong impacts on those that have been hardest hit.

Gender Based Violence (GBV) in all its forms, including intimate partner violence, teenage pregnancies, child marriage and school drop outs are likely to influence the opportunities of those most affected, disproportionately women and girls.

The stresses and strains of the economic shock that Covid-19 has brought combined with rigid concepts of masculinity have amplified existing inequitable gender norms, particularly around the division of labour and GBV.

This has only highlighted further that the foundation of inequitable and discriminatory norms and practices at national, community and interpersonal levels need to be firmly dismantled.

The paper includes a set of cross sectoral recommendations to address some of these challenges.