The year 2020 was marked by the the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a health crisis that has not only killed millions of people worldwide but has also had lasting social and economic consequences, especially for marginalised groups.
Women and girls have been tremendously impacted by the pandemic, with a large number of them losing jobs or leaving the workforce altogether. The current number of women in the workforce is the lowest since 1990, gender-based violence and harmful practices are skyrocketing, and girls have less access to education. Due to this disproportionate impact, COVID- 1policy measures must be gendered and address women and girls’ particular needs.
The objective of this policy brief is to provide concrete evidence that women’s political participation as members of parliament (MPs) in African countries is associated with a higher number of gender-sensitive COVID-19 policies, and by extension with greater material benefits to women citizens.
