(ES) Ensuring a Focus on Women and Girls in the Global Food Crisis Response

As the world scrambles to address the global food crisis, proposed measures may fail to meet the specific needs of women and girls and might worsen existing gender inequalities. Crisis responses, such as the provision of fertilizer subsidies or vouchers, are more likely to reach male heads of household. Other measures may add to the already high labor burdens of women and girls. Governments may shift spending away from social programs that support vulnerable women and children. The current crisis is hitting many women and girls at a time when they are already experiencing considerable hardship, following the pandemic and amid intensifying climate change. Yet this crisis presents an opportunity to design gender-responsive programs that buffer women and girls in the short term and tackle entrenched gender inequalities while building resilience to future shocks over the long term.