Attachments
1. Introduction
The global scale of the social, economic and health crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has been a first in many ways. With the world more globalized and interconnected than ever before, the fast-spreading virus forced lockdowns and instigated economic downturn. Globally, the pandemic has reversed much of the progress made towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 5 (gender equality) and SDG 10 (reducing inequality). Low- and middle-income countries in particular face worsening gender inequalities across key sectors such as health, education and labour as well as increased pressures on weak health-care systems and fragmented social protection systems.
For Asia and the Pacific, the pandemic represents the largest shock since the Second World War. Indeed, it has been a crisis like no other, forcing the closure of businesses, schools and borders. Its consequences can be seen in widespread job losses and increases in poverty and inequalities. The economic shock has exposed many structural weaknesses and fault lines, notably in health and social protection systems, and digital connectivity and skills, as well as the extent to which production and consumption patterns are globally linked. At the household level, people have experienced shrinking economic resources. Both purchasing and producing food have become harder, and unpaid care and domestic workloads have increased given school closures, elder vulnerability and work-from-home arrangements.
Across every sphere, COVID-19 has affected men and women as well as boys and girls differently. Women’s economic resources have been hit hardest, and their mental and emotional health has been disproportionately affected. Women also bear the heaviest burden of increased unpaid care and domestic work. Lockdowns have jeopardized their safety with many women confined in their homes with their abusers. Civil society organizations have witnessed an increase in the number of victims of violence reaching out for help. The crisis has also had a disproportionately large impact on other individuals and communities who experience multiple and persistent forms of discrimination, including (but not limited to) persons with disabilities; migrants and refugees; ethnic, religious and caste-based minority groups; and persons with diverse SOGIESC.
Scope of this assessment
This report assesses COVID-19 fiscal stimulus measures deployed between March 2020 and August 2021 by nine governments in Asia and the Pacific: Cambodia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam (Figure 1.1). Subject to available information, response measures are assessed through the lenses of human rights and gender responsiveness.
The assessment considers whether the design and potential impacts of response measures align with State commitments to achieve desired policy outcomes related to gender equality and women’s empowerment, human rights and dignity for all. Specifically, it identifies areas of concern for certain marginalized groups predominantly seen in the informal sector, which is characterized by a lack of access to key essential services, including for health care and social security.14 It further considers whether response measures protect the rights of these groups (including women), given their unique needs, and ultimately, whether the measures incorporate holistic human rights and gender-responsive principles.
The assessment focuses especially on relevant demographic groups that experience multiple and persistent forms of discrimination in the real economy and society at large. These include primarily women and girls, persons with disabilities, informal workers15 (including migrant and refugee workers), and, where relevant, ethnic, religious and caste-based minorities and persons with diverse SOGIESC. Concluding recommendations provide guidance on generating a paradigm shift towards mainstreaming equality and non-discrimination in government recovery efforts and providing equal opportunities for all to benefit.
Figure 1.2 outlines the assessment’s desired outcomes, relevant policy realms and demographic sectors. These guide the analysis and provide a structural basis for the recommendations. The desired outcomes are closely intertwined, as will be discussed in the report, together leading to the overarching outcome of ensuring human rights and gender equality for all.
Report structure
Chapter 1 provides a brief introduction covering the scope, approach and limitations of the assessment. Chapter 2 offers a contextual overview of the COVID-19 crisis in the nine assessed countries, including a description of the impact of the crisis on health, economies and societies. It details the fiscal stimulus measures deployed and the priority means of these measures. Chapter 3 presents an overview of the opportunities, challenges and vulnerabilities in existing policy and legislative frameworks and budgetary considerations that shape an environment for realizing inherent human rights and achieving desired outcomes in each country. Chapter 4 outlines government fiscal priorities and policy options for economic recovery. Finally, Chapter 5 summarizes key findings and makes recommendations for building towards more inclusive, gender-just and caring economies centred on people and human rights.