COVID 19
Regional Mekong Rapid Gender Analysis COVID-19
COVID-19 has created unprecedented health, economic, and social impacts all over the world. As of 31 August 2020, there have been 25,405,845 confirmed cases globally, and a total of 849,389 deaths. In the Mekong region, there have been 5,612 cases, with 274 in Cambodia, 22 in Lao PDR, 882 in Myanmar, 3,390 in Thailand and 1,044 in Viet Nam. In addition to health effects and deaths caused by the virus, the economic and social impacts of COVID-19 and prevention measures taken by governments are far reaching and long-lasting, especially in the context of climate change and natural disasters in the region.
For the Mekong region, COVID-19 presents special challenges for high-risk populations, including the many migrant workers, garment industry workers, indigenous and ethnic minorities, refugees, internally displaced peoples, migrants, urban slum-dwellers, and people working in the informal sector, such as female sex workers. As with all crises, women and children are disproportionately affected. COVID-19 exacerbates the challenges at-risk populations face and makes it even harder for women to access the support services they need in times of crisis.
This brief summarises the Mekong RGA, written by Athena Nguyen, Jordan Hoffmann, Laura Baines, Ratha Ra, Rebecca Elias, and Christina Haneef in September 2020. This Rapid Gender Analysis draws from 301 interviews (including 126 women), secondary data sources, and CARE’s research to understand women’s specific challenges in the Mekong region during the pandemic. Read More...
For the Mekong region, COVID-19 presents special challenges for high-risk populations, including the many migrant workers, garment industry workers, indigenous and ethnic minorities, refugees, internally displaced peoples, migrants, urban slum-dwellers, and people working in the informal sector, such as female sex workers. As with all crises, women and children are disproportionately affected. COVID-19 exacerbates the challenges at-risk populations face and makes it even harder for women to access the support services they need in times of crisis.
This brief summarises the Mekong RGA, written by Athena Nguyen, Jordan Hoffmann, Laura Baines, Ratha Ra, Rebecca Elias, and Christina Haneef in September 2020. This Rapid Gender Analysis draws from 301 interviews (including 126 women), secondary data sources, and CARE’s research to understand women’s specific challenges in the Mekong region during the pandemic. Read More...
Rapid Gender Analysis Philippines: Metro Manila
The NCR Rapid Gender Assessment (NCR RGA) summarises the gendered impact of the pandemic by putting into perspective the experiences of women, men, girls, and boys from different urban poor communities in Metro Manila. It recognizes the distinct situation created by urban poverty alongside the COVID-19 crisis. The NCR RGA contributes to surfacing knowledge by providing
a space for dialogue and recognising the value of stories to understanding the COVID-19 situation.
The NCR RGA was an inter-agency initiative coordinated by CARE, with participating INGOs Oxfam Pilipinas, Plan International,
Asmae; local organizations ACCORD Inc., ChildHope, Kanlungan sa Er-ma Ministry Inc.; and individual volunteers from DFAT. Agencies served as, or recruited, locally-based interviewers with backgrounds in community organizing or social work. RGA and Kobo orientations, toolkit training and simulation, and regular debriefings were facilitated virtually by CARE to support interviewers in data collection. As this assessment was during enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila, face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions were not possible. Read More...
a space for dialogue and recognising the value of stories to understanding the COVID-19 situation.
The NCR RGA was an inter-agency initiative coordinated by CARE, with participating INGOs Oxfam Pilipinas, Plan International,
Asmae; local organizations ACCORD Inc., ChildHope, Kanlungan sa Er-ma Ministry Inc.; and individual volunteers from DFAT. Agencies served as, or recruited, locally-based interviewers with backgrounds in community organizing or social work. RGA and Kobo orientations, toolkit training and simulation, and regular debriefings were facilitated virtually by CARE to support interviewers in data collection. As this assessment was during enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila, face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions were not possible. Read More...
Learning from Youth in West Africa in COVID-19
In July 2020, volunteers from the West Africa CARE Youth Network decided to learn more about what young women and men are experiencing in COVID-19, and how that should shape CARE’s response and our advocacy interests. This team interviewed 128 young people between the ages of 15 and 35 in 8 countries. 86 of the young people (67%) were young women. Volunteers used Whatsapp messages, phone calls, and recorded interviews to let young people tell their own stories. With a few guiding questions, and using ONA as a platform to structure and analyze the responses, the team has been able to see regional trends and individual stories that must shape humanitarian response to COVID-19 and recovery efforts in way that include young people—especially young women, meet their needs, and value their voices and leadership.
Interviewers had a set of questions from CARE’s Rapid Gender Analysis toolkit, where they asked young people about the biggest impact COVID-19 has in their lives, their biggest need right now, how they are responding to COVID-19, and what are their hopes for the future. Listening to their answers, interviewers categorized the responses based on a pre-set list of options also from the RGA toolkit.
Read More...
Interviewers had a set of questions from CARE’s Rapid Gender Analysis toolkit, where they asked young people about the biggest impact COVID-19 has in their lives, their biggest need right now, how they are responding to COVID-19, and what are their hopes for the future. Listening to their answers, interviewers categorized the responses based on a pre-set list of options also from the RGA toolkit.
Read More...
Rapid Gender Analysis Myanmar, Rakhine State COVID-19
Despite the number of COVID-19 cases in Rakhine State being quite low, the impact on rural food production and the livelihoods of thousands of farm labourers, who are mostly women, is immense. The loss of food production in the State could potentially push families into further poverty and produce further malnutrition in a State of Myanmar that already has one of the highest malnutrition rates in the country. Additionally, the growth of women’s empowerment, which is strongly linked to financial contributions to the household, will decline.
Women and girls in Rakhine State face inequalities in many areas, such as in employment and payment, division of domestic labour, decision making and participation. Those are likely to further increase in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. An area of specific concern is in the education of girls and boys, from poor families, who do not have the technical infrastructure and capacity to support, especially with the continuous internet blackouts across the State. Deployed in an operational environment characterised by ongoing volatility, COVID-19 prevention, treatment and containment efforts have faced multiple difficulties. Mistrust of government officers by communities, restrictions on humanitarian access, limited health services, coupled with targeted attacks on healthcare workers and facilities have proved to be serious operational challenges. Read More...
Women and girls in Rakhine State face inequalities in many areas, such as in employment and payment, division of domestic labour, decision making and participation. Those are likely to further increase in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. An area of specific concern is in the education of girls and boys, from poor families, who do not have the technical infrastructure and capacity to support, especially with the continuous internet blackouts across the State. Deployed in an operational environment characterised by ongoing volatility, COVID-19 prevention, treatment and containment efforts have faced multiple difficulties. Mistrust of government officers by communities, restrictions on humanitarian access, limited health services, coupled with targeted attacks on healthcare workers and facilities have proved to be serious operational challenges. Read More...
Rapid Needs Assessment COVID-19 impacts on Urban Health in Bangladesh
Since the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in Bangladesh earlier this March, Bangladesh is at an economic and social standstill due to the government imposed nation-wide lockdown. Although every sector of the country is facing problems, the health sector is currently among the most affected sectors.
The Health Access and Linkage Opportunities for Workers Plus (HALOW+) is directly related to the health sector and is responsible for maintaining the overall health and safety of the people/areas under its intervention. To assess the current situation of the RMG workers of 17 factories and their respective communities under HALOW+ in this pandemic crisis, a small-scale survey study was conducted from 23rd-26th April, 2020. A total of 141 participants from both Community Support Groups (CSG), Urban Low income
people including RMG Workers, Ward Health Development Committee and GO – NGO Coordination Forum, District Managers of Public, Private and NGO health and Family Planning department, Public Health Specialist from UN bodies, INGO and Academic institutes and RMG Factory owner and senior management were interviewed with a standardized questionnaire. The study revealed that COVID-19 had a significant impact on the overall health system as a total of 322 health workers out of 516 in Gazipur are currently in home/institutional quarantine, telemedicine facilities have dropped to 80% and there’s a 50% reduction in total patient reported in Upazila Health Complexes (UHC)-reasons being absence of doctors and proper medical facilities. Read More...
The Health Access and Linkage Opportunities for Workers Plus (HALOW+) is directly related to the health sector and is responsible for maintaining the overall health and safety of the people/areas under its intervention. To assess the current situation of the RMG workers of 17 factories and their respective communities under HALOW+ in this pandemic crisis, a small-scale survey study was conducted from 23rd-26th April, 2020. A total of 141 participants from both Community Support Groups (CSG), Urban Low income
people including RMG Workers, Ward Health Development Committee and GO – NGO Coordination Forum, District Managers of Public, Private and NGO health and Family Planning department, Public Health Specialist from UN bodies, INGO and Academic institutes and RMG Factory owner and senior management were interviewed with a standardized questionnaire. The study revealed that COVID-19 had a significant impact on the overall health system as a total of 322 health workers out of 516 in Gazipur are currently in home/institutional quarantine, telemedicine facilities have dropped to 80% and there’s a 50% reduction in total patient reported in Upazila Health Complexes (UHC)-reasons being absence of doctors and proper medical facilities. Read More...
Cote d’Ivoire Rapid Gender Analysis COVID-19 May 2020
Pour la Côte d’ivoire, le COVID-19 présente un éventail de défis contextuels dans plusieurs villages et quartiers précaires de la capitale économique avec une population ayant des ressources limitées. Dans la plupart des villes de la Côte d’ivoire, l'accès à des services de santé de qualité, y compris les soins intensifs, est limité. Les Maladies Non transmissibles (MNT), les maladies cardiovasculaires, les maladies respiratoires aigües et chroniques et la malnutrition représentent la principale cause de mortalité prématurée dans le pays. En outre, la sécurité alimentaire et les moyens de subsistance sont particulièrement précaires en raison des modes de vie de semi-subsistance et de la forte dépendance du secteur informel pour les revenus.
Une flambée de COVID-19 en Côte d’Ivoire pourrait affecter de manière disproportionnée les femmes et les filles de plusieurs manières, y compris des effets néfastes sur leur éducation, la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition, la santé, les moyens de subsistance et la protection. Les femmes sont les principales dispensatrices de soins dans la famille et sont des intervenants clés de première ligne en matière de soins de santé, ce qui les expose à un risque accru et à une exposition à l'infection. Les besoins en matière de santé maternelle et sexuelle, en matière de reproduction se poursuivent en cas d'urgence, mais risquent de ne pas être prioritaires. Le COVID-19 risque d'augmenter la charge de travail des femmes avec la fermeture des écoles parce que les enfants resteront à la maison. De plus, il existe un risque d'augmentation de la violence familiale dans les régions où les taux préexistants de violence à l'égard des femmes sont déjà très élevés.
Les rôles et les normes de genre des hommes doivent être pris en compte afin de garantir que les hommes sont correctement ciblés pour aider à réduire leur vulnérabilité à la maladie et à tirer parti de leurs rôles de leaders et de décideurs au foyer et dans la
communauté pour aider à prévenir la propagation de la maladie. Read More...
Une flambée de COVID-19 en Côte d’Ivoire pourrait affecter de manière disproportionnée les femmes et les filles de plusieurs manières, y compris des effets néfastes sur leur éducation, la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition, la santé, les moyens de subsistance et la protection. Les femmes sont les principales dispensatrices de soins dans la famille et sont des intervenants clés de première ligne en matière de soins de santé, ce qui les expose à un risque accru et à une exposition à l'infection. Les besoins en matière de santé maternelle et sexuelle, en matière de reproduction se poursuivent en cas d'urgence, mais risquent de ne pas être prioritaires. Le COVID-19 risque d'augmenter la charge de travail des femmes avec la fermeture des écoles parce que les enfants resteront à la maison. De plus, il existe un risque d'augmentation de la violence familiale dans les régions où les taux préexistants de violence à l'égard des femmes sont déjà très élevés.
Les rôles et les normes de genre des hommes doivent être pris en compte afin de garantir que les hommes sont correctement ciblés pour aider à réduire leur vulnérabilité à la maladie et à tirer parti de leurs rôles de leaders et de décideurs au foyer et dans la
communauté pour aider à prévenir la propagation de la maladie. Read More...
GARMENT WORKER NEEDS ASSESSMENT DURING COVID19
The COVID19 pandemic has severely impacted the garment industry in Cambodia. As of July 2020, over 400 factories have temporarily or permanently closed down and over 150,000 workers are out of work.1 The garment industry employs approximately 750,000 workers in Cambodia, 89% of whom are women.
CARE’s Rapid Gender Analysis demonstrates the disproportionate impact that COVID19 has had on women in Cambodia and around the world. A lot of attention has been placed on the garment industry, but there is little detailed information available from the workers themselves on the impact of the pandemic and what support they need.
The objectives of this needs assessment are to:
• Better understand the needs of women garment workers during the COVID19 pandemic
• Develop evidence-based recommendations for CARE and civil society partners, workers’ organizations,
employers, brands and government stakeholders in Cambodia on how to best address the needs of women
garment workers during the COVID19 pandemic. Read More...
CARE’s Rapid Gender Analysis demonstrates the disproportionate impact that COVID19 has had on women in Cambodia and around the world. A lot of attention has been placed on the garment industry, but there is little detailed information available from the workers themselves on the impact of the pandemic and what support they need.
The objectives of this needs assessment are to:
• Better understand the needs of women garment workers during the COVID19 pandemic
• Develop evidence-based recommendations for CARE and civil society partners, workers’ organizations,
employers, brands and government stakeholders in Cambodia on how to best address the needs of women
garment workers during the COVID19 pandemic. Read More...
Cambodia COVID-19 Rapid Gender Analysis
The number of COVID-19 cases in Cambodia is quite low (141) however the impact on global supply chains and the livelihood of thousands of factory and migrant workers, who are mostly women, is immense. The loss of income could potentially push families back into poverty and the value of unpaid care work which will increase during the pandemic, is not measured in financial terms, nor seen as a valuable contribution. Additionally, the growth of women’s empowerment which is strongly linked to financial contributions to the household, will decline.
Women and girls in Cambodia face inequalities in many areas such as in employment and payment, division of domestic labour, decision making and participation. Those are likely to further increase in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. An area of specific concern is in the education of girls and boys, from poor families, who do not have the technical infrastructure and capacity to support online home schooling.
The current health system does not have the capacity to deal with an increasing number of COVID-19 cases. Sub- national health facilities are considered low quality and previous health crisis showed that patients will directly consult provincial and national facilities which is going to exceed their capacity.
There is still uncertainty about transmission of COVID-19 which causes fear and creates potential for rumours causing
stigmatisation and discrimination of certain population groups such as foreigners, women working with foreigners as in bar work and Muslim groups.
Gender based violence is common and widely accepted in Cambodia. Globally, intimate partner violence (IPV) may be the most common type of violence women and girls experience during emergencies. In the context of COVID-19 quarantine and isolation measures, IPV has the potential to dramatically increase for women and girls. Life-saving care and support to GBV survivors may be disrupted when front-line service providers and systems such as health, policing and social welfare are overburdened and preoccupied with handling COVID- 19 cases. Restrictions on mobility also mean that women are particularly exposed to intimate-partner violence at home with limited options for accessing support services. Read More...
Women and girls in Cambodia face inequalities in many areas such as in employment and payment, division of domestic labour, decision making and participation. Those are likely to further increase in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. An area of specific concern is in the education of girls and boys, from poor families, who do not have the technical infrastructure and capacity to support online home schooling.
The current health system does not have the capacity to deal with an increasing number of COVID-19 cases. Sub- national health facilities are considered low quality and previous health crisis showed that patients will directly consult provincial and national facilities which is going to exceed their capacity.
There is still uncertainty about transmission of COVID-19 which causes fear and creates potential for rumours causing
stigmatisation and discrimination of certain population groups such as foreigners, women working with foreigners as in bar work and Muslim groups.
Gender based violence is common and widely accepted in Cambodia. Globally, intimate partner violence (IPV) may be the most common type of violence women and girls experience during emergencies. In the context of COVID-19 quarantine and isolation measures, IPV has the potential to dramatically increase for women and girls. Life-saving care and support to GBV survivors may be disrupted when front-line service providers and systems such as health, policing and social welfare are overburdened and preoccupied with handling COVID- 19 cases. Restrictions on mobility also mean that women are particularly exposed to intimate-partner violence at home with limited options for accessing support services. Read More...
Nepal COVID-19 Rapid Gender Analysis
Since the onset of the global Coronavirus Pandemic, the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens (MoWCSC) identified the need to highlight the gender and intersectional impacts of the COVID-19 crisis. A Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) was conducted to understand the gender differential impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable and excluded groups. The RGA was also conducted to comprehend how existing gender and social inequalities have been exacerbated by the pandemic in the community and in quarantine situations in Nepal.
The RGA was jointly conducted under the leadership of MoWCSC along with UN WOMEN, Save the Children, with CARE Nepal being the technical management lead. The study was conducted using an Intersectional Approach. Along with primary data collection and analysis, the study was also based on the analysis of 50 secondary documents using the Maxqda software from 31 May to 17 June, 2020. Read More...
The RGA was jointly conducted under the leadership of MoWCSC along with UN WOMEN, Save the Children, with CARE Nepal being the technical management lead. The study was conducted using an Intersectional Approach. Along with primary data collection and analysis, the study was also based on the analysis of 50 secondary documents using the Maxqda software from 31 May to 17 June, 2020. Read More...
Laos Rapid Gender Analysis COVID-19 July 2020
As of 29 June 2020,10,280,397 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 505,145 deaths have been recorded across 213 territories countries and territories and 2 international conveyances. To date, the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has confirmed 19 cases, mainly in the Vientiane Capital. The Government of Lao PDR has acted swiftly since the first reported infection to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Since 13 April 2020, no new confirmed cases have been reported.
Although Lao PDR has been able to avoid the worst health impacts of the pandemic, prevention measures such lockdown, closure of schools and businesses, social distancing and travel restrictions, have had significant economic and social impacts across the country. Gender roles, relations and norms within Lao society have influenced the impact of these measures on different genders. Drawing on primary and secondary data, this Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) has found that the pandemic has both reinforced traditional gender norms as well as provided opportunities for men and women to work together to address the current crisis. This reflects broader gender roles and relations in Lao society in which forces of modernization are challenging and changing traditional gender norms. Read More...
Although Lao PDR has been able to avoid the worst health impacts of the pandemic, prevention measures such lockdown, closure of schools and businesses, social distancing and travel restrictions, have had significant economic and social impacts across the country. Gender roles, relations and norms within Lao society have influenced the impact of these measures on different genders. Drawing on primary and secondary data, this Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) has found that the pandemic has both reinforced traditional gender norms as well as provided opportunities for men and women to work together to address the current crisis. This reflects broader gender roles and relations in Lao society in which forces of modernization are challenging and changing traditional gender norms. Read More...