These were the results of the project to strengthen the socio-economic response to the COVID-19 emergency.

Montevideo, November 23, 2022. To conclude the project "Strengthening the socio-economic response with a generational and gender perspective to the COVID-19 emergency," an event presenting the results was held at the United Nations House in Uruguay. The project, funded by the United Nations Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF), placed special emphasis on creating conditions to strengthen social protection mechanisms with a generational and gender perspective. This involved advancing the comprehensiveness of information systems, supporting the early childhood program "Uruguay Crece Contigo," improving employability and job placement conditions for women in vulnerable situations, reintegrating adolescents into the educational system, and identifying social protection gaps at the territorial level.

The following government institutions played active roles in the implementation of this project: the National Institute for Women (INMUJERES), the Ministry of Social Development (MIDES), the National Administration of Public Education (ANEP), the National Institute of Statistics (INE), the Office of Planning and Budget (OPP) along with local governments, and had the coordination of the Uruguayan Agency for International Cooperation (AUCI). Additionally, the following United Nations agencies participated: UNICEF, UNFPA, UNDP, IOM, and UN Women.

During the closing event, progress and results of the project implementation were presented, and several authorities from the participating institutions shared their reflections on the project's contribution to their institution's objectives, as well as the lessons learned and challenges for public policies. Additionally, a video summarizing the contents of the different project components was shared.

As a result of the project, there is now a georeferencing system for all statistical information, allowing various government entities to more efficiently identify households and individuals with greater socio-economic and health vulnerabilities. It will also advance a metric to identify processes for exiting situations of vulnerability. In this regard, this work complements the design and elaboration of a Multidimensional Poverty Index to be produced by the INE.

In order to improve the available information to identify gender gaps and the progress and setbacks experienced after the pandemic, the third National Survey on Time Use and Unpaid Work was conducted and is currently being analyzed to present the results on March 8th.

On the other hand, the National Directorate of Transfers and Data Analysis (DINTAD) of MIDES, responsible for identifying beneficiaries of monetary transfers, advanced in implementing a pilot to update the eligibility of those accessing the Social Card Program (TUS) to improve coverage and sufficiency for the vulnerable population.

Given that the crisis generated by the pandemic had a significantly greater impact on women from lower social strata and from rural areas, a program on Employability, Care, and Labor Insertion for women in vulnerable situations was designed and implemented, including solutions for caregiving.

A program supporting migrant women entrepreneurs and those from the host community in areas with higher migrant influx during the pandemic was also implemented.

Finally, the Educational Revolt program was designed and implemented in some María Espínola centers of ANEP to bring adolescents with greater difficulties in sustaining educational continuity closer to the center, a phenomenon exacerbated during the pandemic