The COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns continue to have devastating effects around the globe, including in rural areas of developing countries, where people have been affected by livelihood and supply disruptions, income shocks, and food and nutrition insecurity. While the overall impacts are becoming clear, less attention has been paid to the differential impacts on men and women and their ability to cope with the multiple shocks associated with the pandemic. For example, women tend to experience more lingering income shocks and have greater difficulty accessing food than men. Understanding these gender differences can offer important insights to decision-makers designing and implementing policies and programs aimed at providing much needed relief to the most vulnerable communities.

At this seminar, researchers from IFPRI, the World Bank, and the Center for Global Development will share insights from phone surveys in 7 countries on the gendered impacts of COVID-19, discuss operational entry points to mitigate negative gendered impacts, and highlight the extent to which policies and programs addressing COVID-19 incorporate a gender lens. Panelists will also discuss the challenges of learning about the impacts in real time, given difficulties in reaching rural women.

Panelists

• Elizabeth Bryan, Senior Scientist, Environment and Production Technology Division, IFPRI (Presentation) 
• Patricia Van de Velde, Gender Focal Point for the Food and Agriculture Practice, The World Bank (Presentation) 
• Megan O’Donnell, Assistant Director, Gender & Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Global Development (Presentation) 

Moderator

• Greg Collins, Deputy Assistant Administrator and USAID Resilience Coordinator, Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, USAID