Social protection in the COVID-19 recovery: Opportunities and challenges

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COVID-19 has triggered a global economic slowdown and it seems unlikely there will be a rapid rebound in growth and a V-shaped economic recovery. Other scenarios appear more likely, the worst being an L-shaped recession with growth not recovering for several years. The pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing vulnerabilities (‘COVID-19-intensified’) and created new vulnerabilities (‘COVID-19-specific’). Social protection measures have been widely used to help address economic impacts but have varied in type and coverage (e.g. cash…

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Impacts of COVID-19 on female genital cutting

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From March 2020, early in the global COVID-19 crisis, reports began to emerge from our partners and allies that they were witnessing elevated rates of female genital cutting (FGC). In Kenya, a country making positive progress in ending the practice through political leadership, a national and county-level governance structure and civil society action, we were hearing consistent reports of girls being subjected to FGC, or fleeing their homes for fear of being cut, from various…

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Value for money of social protection and humanitarian cash transfers in the context of COVID-19

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While the value for money (VfM) of social protection and cash transfers is already well established, and existing guidance already plentiful, the COVID-19 context raises some particular issues from a VfM perspective. This short note addresses these issues and is aimed at economists, social protection and humanitarian specialists within development partner organisations, as well as policy-makers in government –anyone tasked with designing social protection responses and assessing different options, whether in concept notes, business cases,…

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Strengthening gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) during the implementation of social protection responses to COVID-19

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Social protection –and cash transfers in particular – have been widely used as a policy response to COVID-19. The aim of this document is to highlight the key gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) considerations to be considered in the implementation of social protection, with a specific focus on cash transfers, in response to COVID-19. It provides guidance on how to ensure that the delivery of programmes aregender-sensitive, equitable, inclusive, and where possible, transformative. This…

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The COVID-19 crisis consequences: disrupting the African peace and security agenda

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This piece focuses on the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the African agenda for peace and security. Since its inception, the African Union (AU) has been focused on creating favourable conditions of peace and security as part of its broader Agenda 2063 for achieving “an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens, representing a dynamic force in the international arena”. In adopting its Silencing the Guns flagship project in 2013,…

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COVID-19 and the rise of intimate partner violence

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Stay-at-home policies have been implemented worldwide to reduce the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, there is a growing concern that such policies could increase violence against women. We find evidence in support of this critical concern. We focus on Peru, a country that imposed a strict nationwide lockdown starting in mid-March and where nearly 60% of women already experienced violence before COVID-19. Using administrative data on phone calls to the helpline for domestic violence…

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WFP Global Response to COVID-19: September 2020

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The COVID-19 pandemic is a multiplier of vulnerability, compounding threats to food insecurity, while exposing weaknesses in food and health systems. It is severely undermining the capacity of communities to cope in times of crisis and has become a stress test for political and economic stability. Although conflict and insecurity remain the main drivers of hunger, the added dimension of COVID-19 is exacerbating the ability of affected communities to cope. A drastic reduction of livelihood…

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COVID-19 emergency measures and the impending authoritarian pandemic

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COVID-19 has brought the world grinding to a halt. As of early August 2020, the greatest public health emergency of the century thus far has registered almost 20 million infected people and claimed over 730,000 lives across all inhabited continents, bringing public health systems to their knees, and causing shutdowns of borders and lockdowns of cities, regions, and even nations unprecedented in the modern era. Yet, as this Article demonstrates—with diverse examples drawn from across…

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COVID-19 and the impact on civil society organisations working to end violence against women and girls

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This brief is intended to inform United Nations Member States, United Nations organizations, policymakers, donors and all other partners working on preventing and ending violence against women and girls (VAW/G) about the urgent need to address surging rates of violence in the context of COVID-19. The brief provides a second assessment, following a baseline assessment in March 2020, and is intended to highlight the immediate need for resources to support women and girl survivors.  …

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Covid-19 and Fragile Contexts: Reviving Multilateralism’s Promise to “Leave No One Behind”

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Covid-19 and Fragile Contexts: Reviving Multilateralism’s Promise to “Leave No One Behind” is an Economist Intelligence Unit report, published by the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Through comprehensive desk research, literature reviews and expert interviews, the report investigates the critical failures of the multilateral system in protecting fragile populations during the covid-19 pandemic. Drawing comparisons between the covid-19 response and previous global crises, the report evaluates fundamental shortcomings of the system across three pivotal areas: (1)…

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