Exploring the influence of the special COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant on Women recipients in Matatiele

Abstract

The special COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant was introduced in May 2020 amidst the economic reversal in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdown policy measures. It was intended to absorb the economic shock including loss of jobs and income incurred by vulnerable informal workers and the chronically unemployed individuals (Department of Social Development, 2020). The SRD grant received a lot of research attention since its inception, underscoring its importance in shielding vulnerable people from extreme poverty (Baraskan et al, 2020; Barnes et al, 2021; Kohler and Bhorat, 2021; Jain et al, 2020; Gronbach et al, 2022; Mathebula et al, 2022). However, these studies have not clarified the impacts of the grant on women considering the unique challenges that they faced based on privations specifically related to their gender. This research investigates the perceptions and experiences of women recipients of the SRD grant in Matatiele. The study explores the impact of the grant on women’s livelihoods, financial security and overall well- being. Data was collected through face-to-face qualitative interviewing with a sample of 20 women who received the grant. The key findings reveal that the SRD grant provides crucial income support for vulnerable women, mitigating the impact of income poverty and food insecurity. However, despite the importance of the grant, the results also indicate that women have not recovered from the economic consequences of COVID-19 lockdown interventions. The risk of hunger persists even in the presence of the SRD grant. Therefore, the study concludes that the grant alone is insufficient to eradicate the root-causes of hunger and food insecurity and the multiple challenges that women face daily. The underlying issues include chronic unemployment and absence of stable livelihoods, limited skills, poor access to resources and rising cost of living which all generate economic vulnerability. Therefore, a gendered and more comprehensive approach is needed to effectively address these challenges as experienced by women and improve their lives.