Recommendations

Countries that, in addition to greater fiscal space, could rely on robust administrative and service delivery systems were able to roll out support faster and more effectively, while those with patchy and fragmented systems and bureaucratic deficits had to improvise, under pressure and with varying degrees of success. Countering future shocks would require strong political capacity to ensure representation and participation of affected groups, including women. 

Some channels to build institutional capacity for effective gender mainstreaming could include: improving representation of women in local and national governments, strengthening the technical and financial capacity of women's policy agencies and task forces within and outside governments, collaborating with civil society organizations and networks, etc.

Robust, representative and accessible gender data is a critical tool for prompting action, monitoring progress and holding decisionmakers accountable for mainstreaming gender into crisis response and recovery. Governments improving data systems on their citizens' economic status, demographics, and other important metrics would aid in crisis response targeting in the future. 

Some channels to strengthen data and evidence on gender equality include: enhancing quality and quantity of data on citizens and services, integrate data ecosystems into judicial systems and other government services, leverage resources and support from NGOs, CSOs and multilateral organizations in data collection, capacity building and establishing a strong database ecosystem and usage patterns for gender sensitive governance and policy, etc.

Governments were better able to respond to the pandemic and mitigate its negative impact on women and girls where they could rely on preexisting infrastructure, especially on existing social protection infrastructure. With climate change to be a looming shock in the continent, failing to set up social protection infrastructure could delay effectively responding to the disproportionate impact that it will inevitably have on women.

Some channels to accomplish gender-responsive social protection and increase shock resilience could be: injection of fiscal resources and a public investment-led recovery strategy, creating jobs in green and labor-intensive sectors and ensuring that women get a fair share of these opportunities, large-scale investments in the care economy, etc.

COVID-19 accelerated ongoing digital transformations, causing massive shifts in the way work, social protection and public services are delivered. There was also massive shifts in how people access information, organize and coordinate collective action. In all these areas, digital technologies hold potential for the empowerment of women and girls, but this rests on ensuring that these technologies are accessible to women and girls. 

Some channels to harness digital technologies for gender equality: improve access to digital and financial technology for women and minorities, roll out digital registration and payment mechanism systems for social protection and other services, digital hotlines and justice services, etc.