COVID-19 gendered risks, impact & response: research and policy guidance
Outbreaks differentially affect men, women and non-binary genders. These appear between contexts and over time. However, public health efforts to contain an outbreak, and mitigate its secondary health and socio- economic impacts, remain hindered by a lack of real-time gender analysis. Gender analysis considers how women and men experience crises and respond differently based on biological factors, social roles and power inequities. Gender inequities have been highlighted in past outbreaks and published post-crisis, however, have not offered real-time evidence to strengthen the public health response. COVID-19 is reproducing this gendered neglect.
The Gender and COVID-19 Research Project conducts real time gender analysis to identify and document the gendered dynamics of the outbreak, preparedness and response measures. This real time analysis will provide immediate policy guidance and recommendations for those delivering public health interventions.
As study implementing partners at LVCT Health, we will:
- Document and assess the gendered impacts of the outbreak through qualitative data collection (semi-structured and narrative) interviews with female subpopulations in Nairobi and Migori County impacted by the outbreak,
- Document key informant interviews with decision makers and advocates responding to COVID-19 and the associated gendered effects
- Conduct gender-based analysis of COVID- related policy to understand how gender has or hasn’t been mainstreamed by decision makers,
- Produce communication outputs, including a gender matrix and toolkit, to improve policy and public health responses to COVID-19.
This research is complemented and supported by an international Gender Working Group which is a community of practice of people working on gender and COVID-19.
The study adds on LVCT Health’s program evidence in the link between COVID-19 pandemic recovery and response plan, and the occurrence of gender based violence amongst the vulnerable population, adolescent girls and young women. Read LVCT Health brief here.
The project will be conducted in Nairobi and Migori Counties and will end in September 2021.
Ethical approval by AMREF and NACOSTI has been granted. The project is funded by Simon Fraser University.
For further information, contact Anne Ngunjiri, Senior Technical Advisor – GBV and VAC. LVCT Health