Megan O’Donnell POLICY SEMINAR Towards Resilient Livelihoods, Food Security, and Nutrition for All: Confronting the Gendered Impacts of COVID-19 Co-Organized by IFPRI, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Bank MAR 23, 2021 - 09:30 AM TO 11:00 AM EDT

1. Policies & Investments to Support Women in
Agriculture:
Early Findings from CGD’s COVID-19 Gender and Development
Initiative
Megan O’Donnell

2. Initiative Goals & Thematic Areas of Focus
Goals
• Increase the importance of gender equality on the development policy agendas
of decisionmakers in COVID-19 response and recovery
• Increase the use of gender equality evidence and policy analysis by these
decision-makers
Thematic Areas of Focus
• Women’s economic empowerment
• Social protection
• Indirect health impacts

3. Governments’ Economic Relief & Recovery Efforts
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Violence against women
Social protection
Labor market
Economic, financial or fiscal
All measures
Not gender-sensitive Gender-sensitive 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Support to Domestic Workers
Financial & Digital Inclusion
Agriculture
Wage Work/Job Skills
MSMEs and Cooperatives
Data from UNDP COVID-19 Global Gender Response Tracker, 2020.

4. Governments’ Focus on Agriculture
Data from UNDP COVID-19 Global Gender Response Tracker, 2020.

5. Donors’ Economic Relief & Recovery Efforts
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Other
Financial Inclusion and Digital Inclusion
Support to Agricultural Sector
Job Skills Training
Job Creation/Wage Work Support
MSME Financing & Support

6. Donors’ Focus on Agriculture
25%
38%
38%
World Bank
African Development Bank
Asian Development Bank
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
17% 20% 25% 30% 50%

7. Recommendations
Generate more data and evidence
• Fill population data gaps
• Improve data on women’s work, especially in the informal & unpaid care economies
• Monitor benefits of COVID-19 mitigation and recovery measures on women and girls
Act using existing data and evidence
• Provide cash assistance and access to savings instruments
• Expand access to financial services and ICT
• Strengthen labor market policies aimed at women
• Provide tailored support to women-owned firms and women farmers
• Strengthen the care economy
• Support women’s groups and networks