Gender and social protection and health policies promoted during the COVID-19 pandemic: Global scoping review and future challenges

Abstract

Background: Governmental interventions have been important tools for mitigating COVID-19 transmission, but they have also negatively impacted different gender-related components. We aimed to answer the following questions: What is the scope of the gender approach in the literature analysing health and social protection policies promoted during the COVID-19 pandemic? What are the challenges and recommendations for gender-sensitive policies for the post-pandemic and future crises?

Methods: The study design is based on three stages: a global synthesis of the evidence through a scoping review, the generation of a framework of emerging inequalities based on sociocultural markers, and the creation of a matrix with the challenges and recommendations. In this scoping review, we searched 10 online databases for studies published until April 2022 and conducted a content analysis on the extracted studies.

Results: Of the 771 identified records, 67 met our inclusion criteria. Most studies had a female person (52/67) as the first author. The binary model was the main approach addressed in the studies (61/67). The literature showed that the closure, distancing, and other social policies did not include a gender approach and generated negative gaps related to economic instability, reproductive roles, and gender violence. In the intersectionality dimension, multiple aspects emerged (macro, meso, micro-social level, and individual level). Greater gender gaps in connection with employment (related to increased housework) were observed during the closure and distancing stage of the pandemic. Asymmetries related to female participation in the management of the pandemic and an increase in discrimination and abuse of diversity groups were detected.

Conclusions: We observed gaps both in the gender approach both in knowledge and in policy implementation during the pandemic in the different countries explored in this work. This is a call to attention and action for researchers, political decision-makers, and other interested parties to incorporate and accentuate the gender perspective in all policies related to the post-pandemic period and future social and health crises.