PurposeThe purpose of this article is to understand how coronavirus impacts relate to existing vulnerabilities in different world regions.Design/methodology/approachThe article utilizes quantitative analysis to examine regional variations in coronavirus risk assessment. It then qualitatively employs a policy coherence for development (PCD) approach to analyze how public policies contribute to or mitigate vulnerability, defined as the product of exposure to external shocks, institutional coping capabilities and risk associated with social divisions in societies.FindingsThe research presented below shows that significant regional variance exists in terms of coronavirus risk, based on statistical analysis of the INFORM COVID-19 Risk Report prepared by the European Commission. The PCD analysis highlights important relationships between public policy strategies and the construction of both underlying vulnerabilities and coronavirus impacts.Practical implicationsThe PCD approach presented here focuses on the reconciliation of trade-offs. It shows how policy interactions affect vulnerabilities and suggests that coherent policy strategies aimed at reducing vulnerabilities are necessary in order to adequately respond to the coronavirus pandemic.Originality/valueThis analysis frames vulnerability as a socially constructed condition and through implementation of a PCD approach, it indicates how policy strategies contribute to or mitigate vulnerabilities. In doing so, it intends to contribute conceptually to the literature on vulnerability by showing how policy incoherences contribute to the construction of this condition. Empirically, the originality of this article is its statistical analysis of regional variance of coronavirus risk and the qualitative analysis of policy strategies in representative cases and how they have affected vulnerabilities and coronavirus impacts.

Scaling the summit for women’s rights: From local to global and global to local (p.21) Bandana RanaFinding your voice and identity for many women in South Asia, including Nepal, is like climbing Mt. Everest, the highest peak in the world—not an easy task with deeply embedded patriarchal values and gender norms. Violence against women, particularly domestic violence, is the biggest deterrent to women’s advancement and development. However, with support from a vibrant women’s movement and civil society activism, scaling this mountainous hurdle can be possible. This article examines both the challenges that women in Nepal face and the progress that women’s rights groups have achieved in promoting gender equality in that country. Through both personal and systemic reflections, world-renown women’s rights activist Bandana Rana presents her journey for gender equality from the local to the global and back.Tradition, development, and gender equality: Addressing the incoherences through collective action (p.32) Tara LipovinaThis article addresses gender coherence for development, defined as transformative development that addresses systemic power differences that discriminate against women. Following the contribution from Bandana Rana, this scientific article reflects on challenges that women face in Nepal, with specific discussion of patriarchal traditions. However, the analysis notes that the development does not necessarily positively effect gender equality. Regional policies, such as the European Union’s neighborhood policies in the Western Balkans (specifically in Montenegro), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nation’s economic policies often undermine the gender equality initiatives from these regions. The article identifies collective action and norm ownership as important bases for achieving transformative development that promotes gender equality.Mujeres indígenas, desarrollo y derecho a una vida libre de violencia (p.40) Mónica Carrasco Gómez y Perla O. Fragoso LugoEn este artículo se argumenta la relevancia de la participación directa de las mujeres indígenas en la planeación, modelación, ejecución y evaluación de las políticas públicas dirigidas a ellas como una población diversa, con agendas comunes a las de las mujeres mestizas, pero también con necesidades, problemáticas y propuestas distintas e incluso diferenciadas según su propio grupo cultural. Para ello nos centramos en el abordaje de los programas gubernamentales y la literatura producida en torno al desarrollo social y al combate a la violencia de género contra las mujeres en el estado de Chiapas, la entidad con el mayor número de habitantes hablantes de una lengua indígena en México.