海外发展研究所-面对新冠疫情和流离失所，妇女的经济赋权：恢复弹性未来（英）-2021.10-49页_487kb

Summary: Women's Economic Empowerment in the Face of Covid-19 and Displacement

Core Content

This report examines the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economic empowerment of women affected by crisis and displacement, focusing on Jordan, Greece, and Nigeria. It highlights the compounded challenges faced by these women due to the triple disadvantage of Covid-19, displacement, and gender discrimination, and argues for a more inclusive and comprehensive approach to policy and financing in supporting their economic recovery and resilience.

Main Findings

• Women's Economic Vulnerability: Women affected by crisis and displacement have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. They face greater challenges in securing employment, generating income, and accessing financial services.
• Unpaid Care Work: The pandemic has intensified the burden of unpaid care work on women, often due to social norms and lockdown measures, which have limited their ability to participate in the formal economy.
• Informal Economy Reliance: Displaced women are more likely to be in the informal economy, which has been severely affected by the pandemic, and thus less likely to benefit from formal social protection and public assistance.
• Gender Pay Gap: Displaced women face significant gender pay gaps compared to both host country women and men, with evidence from Turkey and Lebanon showing that Syrian refugee women earn less than their male counterparts.
• Female-Headed Households: Female-headed refugee or internally displaced person (IDP) households are more likely to be in poverty, as highlighted by the Women, Peace and Security Index.
• Policy and Financing Gaps: Current policy and financing initiatives aimed at women's economic empowerment are often inadequate and insufficiently tailored to the needs of displaced women. There is a lack of focus on labour market access, inclusive social protection, and norm change to address stigma and discrimination.

Key Challenges

• Freedom of Movement Restrictions: Displaced women often face legal and practical barriers to formal employment, including movement restrictions and access limitations.
• Social Norms and Discrimination: Gender-based violence (GBV), stigma, and discrimination continue to affect displaced women's ability to work and access resources.
• Informal Work and Economic Insecurity: Displaced women rely heavily on informal work, which is more vulnerable to economic shocks and lack of legal protections.
• Donor Priorities: Donors often prioritise SMEs and private sector engagement, overlooking women-led workers' organisations and more marginalised groups.

Policy and Financing Recommendations

• Tailored Policy Approaches: Policies must be context-specific and inclusive, addressing the intersecting inequalities that affect displaced women.
• Support for Informal Workers: There is a need to recognise and support informal workers, particularly women, through financial services and social protection.
• Inclusive Social Protection: Social protection systems should be inclusive and accessible to displaced women, including those in the informal sector.
• Gender Norm Change: Efforts should be made to challenge harmful gender norms and promote inclusive economic opportunities.
• Strengthen Legal Frameworks: Legal frameworks must support refugee inclusion, gender equality, and safe movement.
• Enhance Donor Engagement: Donors should shift focus to women's rights organisations and community-based initiatives, rather than solely on SMEs and private sector engagement.

Conclusion

The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities and highlighted the need for more inclusive and comprehensive policies to support the economic empowerment of displaced women. The resilient futures of these women depend on multi-stakeholder collaboration, inclusive economic policies, and targeted financing. Without such action, the progress on gender equality and decent work within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other global commitments may be set back.

Key Information

• Research Focus: The study was conducted on 725 IRC clients in Greece, Jordan, and Nigeria.
• Methodology: The research draws on survey data, key informant interviews (KIIs), and policy analysis.
• Funding: The research was funded by the Citi Foundation as part of the Resilient Futures programme.
• License: The work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
• Citations: The report references UN, ILO, OECD, and IRC studies, as well as key policy documents like the Global Acceleration Plan (GAP) and National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security (NAPs).

Country Contexts

Figures and Tables

• Figure 1: Percentage of respondents who earned any income, by sex.
• Table 1: Percentage of respondents who earned any income, by sex.
• Figure 2: Selling assets, borrowing and using savings in response to the pandemic.
• Table 2: Saving rates by household displacement status.
• Figure 3: Percentage of respondents' households saving money at the time of the survey.

Acronyms

• BMZ: German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
• DFI: Development Finance Institution
• DFID: UK Department for International Development (former)
• FCDO: UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
• FFO: German Federal Foreign Office
• GAP: Global Acceleration Plan
• GBV: Gender-Based Violence
• GEAC: Gender Equality Advisory Council
• GEF: Generation Equality Forum
• GIZ: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH
• GLI: Gender Lens Investing
• IDP: Internally Displaced Person
• ILO: International Labour Organization
• IRC: International Rescue Committee
• KII: Key Informant Interview
• NAP: National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security
• NGO: Non-Governmental Organisation
• ODA: Official Development Assistance
• OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
• OECD-DAC: OECD Development Assistance Committee
• SDG: Sustainable Development Goal
• SMEs: Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
• UN: United Nations
• UNHCR: United Nations Refugee Agency
• We-Fi: Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative
• WPHF: Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund