This Cheat Sheet is an accessible synopsis of why and how social protection should be tailored to the needs of women and girls throughout their lives. It is part of a broader resource pack on gender-responsive social protection, including eight thematic briefs: 

• Disability
• Care and support
• Crisis
• Climate resilience
• Health and nutrition
• Education
• Violence prevention
• Women’s economic empowerment
   

Social protection can be a powerful tool for reducing women’s and girls’ poverty, improving their access to education, expanding economic opportunities, reducing exposure to violence, and lessening vulnerability to crises. However, social protection systems often fail to address gender inequalities, and those working to improve outcomes for women and girls may not always consider social protection as a key solution. This gender-responsive social protection brief, along with the supporting thematic briefs, aims to explain what gender-responsive social protection is, why it is crucial, and, where relevant, provide insight into the tools and skills needed to implement or influence gender-responsive approaches.