Government responses and socio-economic implications of Covid-19 in Africa: Gender responsive and food security

Abstract

This study is founded on the context of government’s role in dealing with pandemic outbreaks with reference to Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) on  genderbased livelihoods.. It forms part of gender-sensitive needs assessment. The author review government responses and approaches applied towards pandemic preparedness. The aim was to analyse whether government responses really contribute to effective food aid targeting in complex emergencies. Pandemics and outbreaks have differential impacts on women and men. In the aftermath of disasters, affected communities will need help to restart agricultural activities as soon as possible, in order to meet household food security needs adequately and restore resilience. In some societies, women and/or children are the victims of food discrimination. It is essential to ensure that women and men who live in low-income households are fully integrated in food security interventions for achieving critical development goals. Strides have been made to ensure meaningful participation of affected groups, including women and girls, in decision-making and implementation. Empowering women is vital to  lifting rural communities out of poverty, especially as many developing nations face economic crisis, food insecurity, HIV/AIDS, environmental degradation and increasing urbanization. Using literature and desktop reviews the researcher explores the social factors and how have they changed since the crisis. A review of women participation is also undertaken to assess inclusive development for food security. Some programmes have been implemented and the study look into the recognition of the roles of women and men in government programmes for enhancing food security. Recommendations are also make to facilitate women’s access to economic network to enhance food security and livelihood development.

Keywords: COVID-19, gender responsive programmes, socio-economic implications, food security and emergencies