Social Costs of the COVID-19 Pandemic

"[I]t is paramount to keep people at the centre of the discussion about recovery measures, promoting participatory mechanisms to ensure that people are being heard."

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in not only health effects and an unprecedented economic crisis but also in far-reaching social impacts, such as higher levels of gender-based violence. The crisis has affected everyone. However, capacities to cope and adapt to COVID-19 containment measures have highlighted and compounded with previous inequalities and vulnerabilities, which will impact people's abilities to overcome the aftermath of the pandemic. In that context, the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (see Related Summaries, below) commissioned this background paper to guide discussions and inform recommendations on the most pressing social dimensions of the pandemic.

The paper reviews impacts (and shares data) in the categories of: income losses and poverty levels; the labour market; education; and gender dimensions. The latter focuses on two areas of impact: (i) economic impacts in the form of participation in the labour market, and the precariousness of feminised occupations; and (ii) violence against women and girls. Among the concerns raised: "The COVID-19 pandemic threatens to roll back gains in women's economic opportunities, widening gender gaps that persist....Prevalent economic disparities by gender exacerbate the impacts of COVID-19, as women tend to earn and save less than men, hold more insecure jobs and tend to be overrepresented in precarious occupations...Emergency measures to deal with the pandemic may displace resources away from important preventive health - particularly sexual and reproductive health - which have long-term impacts not only on mothers, but also on children."

For many people, the pandemic has compounded other dimensions of vulnerability, making the challenges of navigating the pandemic more acute. These overlapping vulnerabilities are highlighted throughout the paper. For example, the scale of school closures necessitated by COVID-19 has rendered even more visible the uneven distribution of the technology needed to facilitate remote learning.

As noted here, countries with more developed social protection systems (either social assistance or social security) could reach those registered faster in initial phases of the response, as they had better information and means for reaching their beneficiaries. New and non-traditional approaches for identification and registration of pandemic-affected populations have been used, though these may raise new concerns over privacy laws and consent (e.g., mobile phone data for geographical targeting or behavioural information). Good social protection systems will also be important for the recovery phase and beyond.

As is argued here, the international system is in a unique position to accompany countries in shaping their recovery paths, helping them understand emerging challenges. The pandemic also offers opportunities to rethink growth and development in a more integrated manner, ensuring that, as economies are rebuilt, they are stronger and more inclusive.

In closing, the authors suggest that:

• "International organisations are...key to giving voice to those that usually fall between the cracks of existing assistance and participatory mechanisms."
• "Policies and measures should include a gender perspective and special consideration of inclusion of vulnerable populations to ensure a more equitable economic recovery. This level of integrated progress will only be achieved through the combined efforts, not only of national governments and local institutions, but also community-based organisations and international cooperation."
• "Good governance and participatory mechanisms will be crucial, particularly at a moment where priorities need to be set, and when solidarity is required. To push for a human-centred, robust recovery, governments and international organisations will need to find mechanisms for citizens' participation (social dialogue) centred on rights."