Brief on the gender perspective and guidance for all efforts related to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic showed us that women play a disproportionate role in the disease response. They are hit harder by economic fallout and suffer from increased gender-based violence. In addition to this, when health services are overstretched, women and girls' access to these essential services becomes more challenging.

This brief aims at integrating a gender perspective into COVID-19 response by laying out the impact and implications of the pandemic for women and girls and the unique risks. It provides a set of recommendations to decision-makers to ensure that women's voices are heard, highlights the aspects of gender-based violence in the COVID-19 context and brings forth recommendations on assisting women from marginalized groups.