New research carried out for the International Public Policy Observatory by contributors to the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT) and the International Network for Government Science Advice (INGSA) highlights European initiatives that make gender a key consideration in the recovery plans from the crisis. 

While the European Commission’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) requires member states to take gender equality into account, it lacks clear common indicators and enforcement of gender-sensitive approaches. The majority of the RRF’s financial support is also envisioned to be allocated to the digital and green sectors, in which women are typically underrepresented.

Resulting from this, most of the national recovery plans emerging from the RRF have limited references to gender equality, commonly in relation to gender-based violence and/or childcare support. Work-related measures tend to focus on flexible work or address all workers, rather than offering more specific initiatives to support women in the workplace.