Impact of COVID-19 on livelihoods and HIV risk and vulnerability among women living in urban informal settlements in Uganda

The COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to control it have threatened livelihoods, introduced new workplace risks and made unstable work relationships even more precarious, especially for women. This project will study the impact of COVID-19 on employment (paid and unpaid), economic status, and HIV risk and vulnerability among women living in urban informal settlements in two major cities (Kampala and Mbale) in Uganda. It will also examine the strategies employed by women to cope with COVID-19-related work stresses that expose them to HIV risk and vulnerability. The evidence generated will support the development of a co-designed intervention package that encompasses inclusive, sustainable, and equitable gender-transformative solutions for COVID-19 recovery and future health emergencies.

This project is funded under Women’s health and economic empowerment for a COVID-19 Recovery that is Inclusive, Sustainable and Equitable (Women RISE), an initiative of IDRC, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Its aim is to support global action-oriented, gender-transformative research by teams of researchers from low- and middle-income countries and Canada.