Failing women and girls during Covid-19: the limits of regional gender norms in Africa

Barlow, M. , Grugel, J., Saka, L. and Murray-Evans, P. (2023) Failing women and girls during Covid-19: the limits of regional gender norms in Africa. British Journal of Politics and International Relations, (doi: 10.1177/13691481231204311) (Early Online Publication)

Abstract

How do we account for the ability or otherwise of regional organisations in the global South to enable equitable and inclusive responses to the COVID-19 pandemic? We answer this question with a focus on Africa and in relation to the rights of women and girls. Drawing on theoretical insights from Feminist Global Health Security and from data on the African Union, other regional organisations in Africa and from non-governmental organisations, local activists and medical centres, we show that regional organisations acted quickly to identify the gendered socio-economic and health needs of women and girls and alerted member states to their responsibility to consider gender rights in their policy responses. But weak gender norms led to a disconnect between this early recognition of the importance of policies to protect women and girls and the behaviour of regional organisations, which could not lead a gender sensitive response or engineer one in member state governments.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: The authors acknowledge the funding support of two Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) projects: Thanzi la Onse (GCRF-MRC grant number MR/PO28004/1); and Gender and Health Systems in Low- and Middle-Income Countries after COVID-19: the Promotion of Women’s Health and Emerging International Policy Advice (GCRF-University of York).
• Keywords: Regionalism, gender, norms, Africa, COVID-19, hierarchies.
• Status: Early Online Publication
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Barlow, Dr Matt
• Authors: Barlow, M., Grugel, J., Saka, L., and Murray-Evans, P.
• Subjects: H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman; J Political Science > JZ International relations
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Economic and Social History
• Journal Name: British Journal of Politics and International Relations
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• ISSN: 1369-1481
• ISSN (Online): 1467-856X
• Published Online: 27 October 2023
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2023 The Authors
• First Published: First published in British Journal of Politics and International Relations 2023
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License