COVID-19 Rapid Gender Assessment (Uganda)

Uganda reported its first case of COVID-19 on 21 March 2020. While Uganda’s tightly controlled response helped stem the spread of the virus, it also resulted in significant damage to the economy with especially dire consequences for women already living in poverty and those without formal jobs. Uganda has been a net recipient of migrants and refugees for some time. These groups have also suffered the negative health and socio-economic effects of the pandemic.

UN Women, in partnership with UNFPA and UBOS, commissioned a computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) survey in Uganda’s four regions. The results are intended to provide policy and decision-makers with reliable evidence to design appropriate interventions that address the current needs of the population and influence policy and practice to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a bid to fully understand how women and men are affected by the pandemic, the study presents sex-disaggregated data on the livelihoods, safety and security, access to essential health and other services, and perceptions about and incidence of gender-based violence across the country.