Gender and the COVID-19 Crisis in Conflict-Affected Contexts

Search for Common Ground recently consulted over 30 teams around the world to understand their perspectives on needs and opportunities around the COVID-19 crisis, drawing from their experiences working in fragile contexts, with women and girls, and on other health crises such as the Ebola epidemics in West Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Based on these local insights and analysis, this discussion paper provides a snapshot of the gendered impact of the current pandemic in fragile contexts. It identifies key risks for women and girls, particularly on the issues of physical violence, overall security, and ability to enjoy fundamental rights. Finally, it provides recommendations for policymakers within donor agencies formulating their response to COVID-19.