10%

From global emergency to global equality

How learning from the pandemic can help accelerate gender equality

September 6^th, 2023

At the halfway point to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), unlocking options to accelerate progress is critical. The long road to gender equality, and achieving SDG 5, was glaringly obvious during the COVID-19 pandemic. From increases in unpaid care work to a rise in gender-based violence, the pandemic not only shone a light on the gender inequalities that existed in societies, it also exploited them.

But during this time of acute crisis, opportunities also arose as countries strove to meet the evolving needs. New policies were quickly developed and innovation was nurtured, while civil society groups raised awareness of the injustice of gender inequality worldwide.

The COVID-19 pandemic not only shone a light on the gender inequality that existed in societies, it also exploited them. Photo: UNDP Eurasia/Sanja Knežević

Now, over three years on from the onset of the pandemic, UNDP and UN Women have joined forces to help keep up this momentum, by compiling a series of practical solutions learned from the global response.

In cataloguing these policies, a new picture emerges of how governments can dismantle systems that sustain gender inequality – even in times of crisis – to help create a more equitable future.

When countries choose gender equality

One important lesson from the pandemic is that countries can design policies that support gender equality; it is a matter of choice. Even in the midst of an unprecedented global crisis, we witnessed governments – from high-income to low-income countries – introducing measures focused on addressing women’s economic security and recovery. For example, in Türkiye, the Ministry of Trade announced a grant programme for women cooperatives, with funds used to improve the operations and promotions of clubs, childcare centres and kindergartens. The grant provided support to 139 women’s cooperatives in 2020 and was extended into 2021.

Building capacities to respond to the specific needs and priorities of women and girls in crisis has long been a priority for UNDP. From the war in Ukraine to the devastating floods in Pakistan, UNDP has been working with governments, country teams and local communities to ensure gender considerations are integrated into crisis response and recovery.

From global emergency to global equality

Joining the dots, expanding partnerships

Choosing policies that support gender equality also means choosing greater coordination and integration. Too often in the early emergency phase of the pandemic, gender sensitive policies were disconnected from other government ministries. For example, launching support to survivors of gender-based violence without having the centres and personnel to deliver these services, or launching digital cash transfer programmes without realizing that many women may not be able to access them.

The most successful policy responses were those which were formulated as part of national action plans and coordinated with the overall recovery responses.

One strong example came from Kyrgyzstan, which opened the first government-led crisis centres for individuals experiencing gender-based violence. The centres embrace an integrated approach and incorporate psychological, medical, legal services and social norms work, while also aiming to coordinate with non-governmental crisis centres.

The unparalleled importance of civil society is also clear. Evidence has shown us that during the pandemic, countries with strong civil society participation developed gender-sensitive measures over five times more than those with weak civic spaces. This is reflected in the examples gathered for this catalogue, with half of the successful solutions identified using existing civil society networks to implement measures.

Bilan is Somalia’s first all-women media team. Staffed and run entirely by women with full editorial independence, the unit covers hard news and in-depth features, making sure women’s voices and stories are heard. Photo: UNDP Somalia/Said Said Fadhaye

Engaging men as allies to transform harmful gender norms and promote positive masculinities is also crucial. In Cape Verde, the Institute for Gender Equality and The Blue Sharks national football team mobilized men and boys to be ambassadors of gender equality, spreading messages to help end violence against women and challenge gender stereotypes across the island nation.

At UNDP, as part of our Gender Equality Strategy, we have continued to step up our partnerships with and support to civil society. In 2022, 83 percent of UNDP country offices partnered with women’s or feminist organizations, mainly to advocate for women’s rights and address gender-based violence.

Taking chances, but thinking ahead

The blossoming of innovative solutions demonstrated during COVID-19 showed us that we can only get different results if we start applying different solutions.

The pandemic saw rapid digitalization, and indeed many of the successful policy measures for gender equality included digitalization. Yet a note of caution was also sounded, as gender gaps can worsen when gender inequality is not taken into account. For example, when cash transfers or payments moved to digital, it relied on people having phones. But statistics showed that women are less likely to have a phone; and even when they did, they often did not have control or access to the money. For digital transitions to be inclusive of women, a renewed focus on closing persistent access gaps is essential.

UNDP has responded to this call for action and, in 2022, helped 22 countries expand access to digital technologies, digital finance and digital value chains for women entrepreneurs and women-owned micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. The Government of Belize, for example, piloted digital connect centres to reach young, rural women.

Prioritizing women’s economic security in times of crisis

One thing that we know for sure: the unpaid care work – carried out primarily and disproportionately by women and girls – cannot be taken for granted anymore.

Millions of women had to leave their employment to carry out added care responsibilities during the pandemic, looking after children who couldn’t go to school, or full-time care of the elderly. Suddenly, the curtain was pulled back and the unpaid care structure that sustains societies and economies became visible to billions of people. In response to this, good practices arose – including financial support to unpaid care providers and flexible working arrangements.

Steering a more equitable future

The lessons UNDP and UN Women have identified in this report are not exclusive to COVID-19. Instead they remind us that the choices we make for gender equality in times of crisis are the choices we should be making all the time. From proactively preventing and responding to violence against women to innovating new ways to recognize, reduce and redistribute unpaid care work, this report shows us that solutions for a gender-equal world are not only possible, they exist.

Expanding on this evidence and replicating some of these successful gender-responsive policies has to be the next step. UNDP and UN Women recently reported that globally, women are empowered to achieve only 60 percent of their full potential on average, while UNDP’s Gender Social Norms Index has revealed no improvement in biases against women in a decade.

Policy reform – to dismantle systemic barriers to gender equality – has never been more urgent.

But there are also lessons to be learnt when it comes to ensuring economic support for women. Most notably, targeting individuals, rather than households, is paramount. Too often, when benefits are provided at household level, where the income is controlled by men, women do not benefit. When governments explicitly prioritized women as individuals; the results were impressive.

In 2022, UNDP increased its support to women’s economic security. 5.4 million women gained jobs and improved livelihoods in 39 countries in crisis or post-crisis settings, up from 4.8 million women in 2021.

In Afghanistan, through the ABADEI programme, UNDP has helped sustain the economic security of 34,000 entrepreneurs, 80 percent of whom are women. While much more must be done, they have gained grants and skills to start and sustain small businesses essential to their survival.

But this must also be matched with political will, adequate funding, and a concerted effort to address the entrenched social norms and gender biases which currently underpin global gender inequality. Taking these steps will put humanity on a transformative path, toward a future that is more resilient, sustainable and – importantly – gender equal.