Kenya: Gender effects of COVID-19—Responses from fourth round of data collection in five Nairobi informal settlements (Kibera, Huruma, Kariobangi, Dandora, and Mathare)

Responses from the fourth round of COVID-19 data collection in five Nairobi informal settlements are described in this brief. On June 13–16, 2020, phone interviews with 1,529 adults were completed. Results suggest that women are more likely than men to report increased tension, arguing, and household violence related to COVID-19 mitigation measures. Women are twice as likely to take on more unpaid domestic work compared to men due to coronavirus. While women were earning less than their male partners prior to COVID-19, this gap has widened. Of those in a partnership, 44 percent say both they and their partner are earning less now. In general, men have more control over a range of decision-making areas, which does not appear to have been changed by COVID-19. Four out of five women do not currently want to get pregnant. About half of women were using contraception in March before COVID-19, and almost all were still using the same method. Of those using the same method, 18 percent had experienced a challenge accessing their method