Unlocking the Lockdown: The Gendered Effects of COVID-19 on Achieving the SDGS in Asia and the Pacific

COVID-19 has affected men and women differently. Although more men have died from the pandemic, women’s mental health is taking a bigger toll, their workload at home has multiplied and their economic resources are dwindling.

These effects are hard to capture, as social distancing measures have rendered traditional data collection methods impossible. In response to this challenge, UN Women’s Regional Office for Asia and Pacific turned to innovative solutions to pursue data collection at this critical time.

UN Women engaged with national governments and mobile network operators to roll out a series of rapid assessment surveys in 11 Asia-Pacific countries. As data collection began within a week of the pandemic being declared, results are now available to guide policy makers in their responses.