International and Regional Responses to Effects of COVID-19 on Women and Children

Panel Abstract
This panel is dedicated to contextualize and critically assess global issues which were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and a selection of institutional responses thereafter, on different levels of governance (international, regional and national). We aspire to not only assess the current status quo of many varied institutional organizations and international cooperation in this area, but also to highlight which areas could be improved in the face of future crises. The panel underlines the systematic challenges within international and some regional institutions and how these challenges hinder policy-making in multiple sectors including the sector of public healthcare. Women and children are the predominant focus of this panel, as these groups faced their own unique set of challenges in light of the pandemic. A key theme running through the papers is the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which faced an enormous setback, and also the idea of building back better (BBB). We aim to point to ways in which institutions can build upon their capacity and operations to reduce not only the effects of the pandemic but also better tackle the pre-existing inequalities faced by women and children throughout the globe. Illustrating various challenges and impacts of the pandemic enables the authors to deep dive into specific institutional responses to certain groups.