Rapid Gender Assessment Surveys, 2021

Shortly after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, evidence showed the consequences of the crisis spanned well beyond its direct health effects. Across Asia and the Pacific, COVID-19 impacted outcomes ranging from access to health care, to employment and income, and women were often at a disadvantage. Two years on, the pandemic continues affecting women and men, and its lingering effects remain gendered. Ample evidence is now available on the effects on women-dominated sectors, such as tourism, and types of work, such as informal jobs, as well as on women's unpaid care work responsibilities. Women are also encountering more barriers to access stimulus packages to stay out of poverty.

In response to these concerns and to design effective responses to the crisis, the demand for gender data has increased. In the past few months, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific and the Asian Development Bank rolled out Rapid Gender Assessment Surveys in consultation with national governments.

These surveys also include the eight FIES questions to understand the food security situation in the countries where the surveys have been run. However, it is important to note that these surveys are not identical to the FIES surveys, which are conducted by FAO.