Supporting gender-responsive research on socio-economic recovery from COVID-19

The world has put wide-ranging public health measures and diverse public policies in place to address the spread of COVID-19. The health, social, economic, and political impacts of the global pandemic are now apparent in low-income countries, as is their potential to widen inequalities, deepen poverty, generate insecurity, undermine governance, and leave lasting effects on capacities to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. As wide-ranging measures are being put in place in low-income contexts, there is an urgent need for reliable, contextually grounded local data and evidence to inform appropriate responses to this global pandemic. Women and marginalized groups have disproportionately suffered the negative impacts of the pandemic, which have exacerbated pre-existing vulnerabilities. This project will provide support to research projects to integrate gender and diversity considerations as a crosscutting theme. Using gender-sensitive research approaches and ensuring that research findings contribute to gender-sensitive policy responses to COVID-19 will be key to the success of these projects. Activities will focus on harnessing existing capacity of research teams and peer-to-peer learning at a cohort level. Advisory support will also be available to project teams, with an emphasis on developing a gender-responsive theory of change and appropriate research methods. In response to this need, IDRC launched the Social and Economic Response and Recovery from COVID-19 (SERRC) Initiative, a rapid response funding mechanism that is supporting 21 projects. Its goal is to contribute research, evidence, and data for policy and solutions that will mitigate the social and economic impacts of COVID-19 and to promote recovery from the pandemic across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The research will focus on developing macro-economic policy; supporting essential economic activity by protecting workers and small producers; and promoting democratic governance and effective, accountable responses.