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3 thematic round-tables on policy recommendations. Roundtables shared policy recommendations with local stakeholders (regional, provincial and municipal level policy makers, entrepreneurs, employers and their representative bodies, migrants’ organizations, service providers in the 13 regions covered by MATILDE. Together with, e.g., policy makers, public administration staff, migrants and migrant communities, education providers, representative bodies and employers, the pre-validated policy recommendations have been discussed, supplemented and validated in roundtables.

The Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) deems gender equality to be a crosscutting priority for the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). Despite this, no specific budget has been allocated to the issue of promoting gender equality, and the issue has not been included among the 11 criteria used by the Commission to assess the plans. RESISTIRÉ analysis of the NRRPs shows that the perspective of women is not sufficiently represented in the plans and very few measures have been taken to concretely address women’s specific needs or the problems they face. Given these shortcomings in the design of the NRRPs, it is imperative that the European Commission take special care to ensure that Monitoring and Evaluation pay special attention to those elements of the performance system that deal specifically with issues related to gender equality

Most of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs) focused their attention on the economy and finance, support for business, the construction of infrastructures, and economic stabilisation. In most cases the design process of the plans was based on consultations with organisations involved in the production, labour, and economic sectors. Insufficient importance was assigned to engaging with actors representing the interests of vulnerable groups. As a result, even though the European Commission's guide on how to prepare the plans clearly stated the importance of recognising and addressing women and vulnerable groups, in conformity with the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights, most of the NRRPs lack concrete measures targeting vulnerable groups and address different inequality grounds in cursory terms only. The failure to address gender+ vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in the policy design process means that there is a risk that the NRRPs will not only fail to achieve their set goals, but that their measures will further aggravate the situation of these groups.

The ever-growing importance of the internet and its spread and reach into the physical and social world are developments that have created new risks and that expose people to the threat of digital attacks and abuse. A crisis situation such as the recent pandemic, where these issues have become even more challenging, can be used to test new collaborations and solutions to address these problems. Social media and big tech companies could be a real ally in raising awareness, educating, and preventing the incidence of digital violence. Highlighting corporate responsibility and pressuring tech companies to not only recognise but also address the weaponisation of their platforms and take concrete action to fight this is indispensable for pursuing an equitable and safe digital transformation.

Political institutions were not prepared for how much gender-based violence was both triggered and exacerbated by the lockdown restrictions and subsequent lifting of restrictions. While some efforts were made to address gender-based violence in the early pandemic policy responses, it is seldom mentioned in the National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs) and policies that were subsequently drawn up. Instead, addressing gender-based violence should be a key concern when developing crisis management plans (including prevention, contingency plans, and recovery measures). Policymakers should learn from the COVID-19 crisis in order to design more effective responses to gender-based violence during crisis periods.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the significance of a European-level response to crises, for which the development of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs) was an important, yet insufficient, first step. In order to develop the capacity of European countries and the European Union to respond to future crises in ways that do not increase the existing gender+ inequalities or create new ones, there is an urgent need to develop comprehensive, inclusive, multi-actor crisis management plans that build on a gender+ intersectional approach.

The report 'Multi-dimensional policy-recommendation matrix' shows the interrelation between social, economic, integration and regional development policies. The implementation of the matrix and the collection of results from each MATILDE partner was coordinated by CUAS.The policy recommendations consider different fields of action, all government levels from local to EU level and different groups of TCNs and are based on a mixed-methods approach. Thus, the qualitative and quantitative MATILDE results of WP3 and 4 as well as the results of participatory action research of WP5 were included.Furthermore, as a final step in WP6, at least one policy roundtable was organised by each research partner. There, the pre-validated policy recommendations were jointly drafted, supplemented, adapted and validated. These were then transferred to the matrix and show recommendations and solutions on three levels of interconnectedness (government levels, areas of integration and groups of migrants).

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a truly wicked problem which has remained a stubborn issue plaguing multiple countries worldwide. The continuously increasing number of infections and deaths has driven several countries to implement control and response strategies including community lockdowns, physical distancing, and travel bans with different levels of success. However, a disease outbreak and the corresponding policies can cause disastrous economic consequences due to business closures and risk minimization behaviors. This paper develops a system dynamics framework of a disease outbreak system covering various policies to evaluate their effectiveness in mitigating transmission and the resulting economic burden. The system dynamics modeling approach captures the relationships, feedbacks, and delays in such a system, revealing meaningful insights on the dynamics of several response strategies.

Current societal challenges pose different problems, such as the need to change energy systems. New and emerging technologies or technological fields often have critical roles in solutions. Stimulating and accelerating the development and diffusion of new technologies are common agendas for public policy debates, which are informed by various analytical frameworks. For emerging technological fields, scholars have applied the Technological System Innovation (TIS) framework. However, TIS conceptual and analytical limitations have led to constraints in informing policies. This thesis advances this debate by demonstrating how a new TIS conceptualisation for systemic problems and blocking mechanisms (TIS hindering factors) improves policy recommendations. I propose a conceptual framework that enables the identification and analysis of policy mixes for the diffusion of emerging technologies. Despite TIS literature's long tradition, I show that a more accurate definition of TIS hindering factors enhances the framework explanatory power for a higher diversity of cases. This conceptual improvement depends on addressing the unclear or incomplete definitions, the lack of explanation of interdependent TIS hindering factors and the vague explanation of contextual influences. To this end, I propose a mechanism-based conceptual framework that understands blocking mechanisms as causal pathways linking systemic problems (causes) to poor system functioning (outcomes). I argue that detailing the causal pathway in activities and actors better explains system malfunctioning. Hence, it is possible to discuss interdependencies patterns of TIS hindering factors. The policy implications of the proposed framework entail that TIS can inform policy through systemic goals to mitigate systemic problems, activity goals to mitigate activities in blocking mechanisms and contextual goals to support the contextual influences of activities in blocking mechanisms. This mechanism-based framework is applied to the biogas case in Brazil. Although biogas technologies in Brazil have a huge potential and a long history, few studies have examined biogas in Brazil as a technological field. Besides, this case presents all the features to explore the new framework: several contexts and interdependent hindering factors. An innovative methodology was developed combining event history analysis and 24 in-depth interviews to describe systemic problems with a theory-building process tracing to unpack the blocking mechanisms. The empirical finds demonstrate that the evolution of geographically embedded sectoral regulations and infrastructures and their interactions have been responsible for major changes in the biogas field in Brazil. The findings also indicate that the low level of knowledge of biogas among players, the divergent frames and financial conditions and the limited spectrum of interactions are the primary causes of system hindrance. These causes manifested themselves in five blocking mechanisms, which elucidate the interdependence of systemic problems. Still, the results reveal the need for a national agenda composed of five systemic goals, the necessity of coordinating these systemic goals, and how macro or external factors may counteract goals. Finally, this thesis contributes to TIS and emerging technologies literature by providing a mechanism-based explanation of TIS hindering factors, an analytical method to consider contextual influences in TIS and discussing patterns of contextual influences and interdependence of TIS hindering factors.

Previous research has indicated that conventional source water risk assessment (SWRA) tools are not sufficiently compatible with Indigenous peoples’ values and needs. To work towards a proposal for an improved SWRA framework, a scoping review was executed which explored previous approaches that are reported on in the literature. A supplementary interview process with members of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation was also undertaken to identify possible ways to improve upon the approaches analyzed in the scoping review. The scoping review revealed various SWRA frameworks that have been used to analyze water accessed by Indigenous peoples, but the topic seems generally under-researched. The interview process led to data that suggested ways to improve SWRA, including a significant broadening of the risk sources, impacts of concern, and community- or ecologically-based resilience factors considered. A proposed framework based on the results of the scoping review and interview process is presented.

Several studies highlight theextent of women’s under-representation in decision-making and the invisibility of their voices in policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. A greater representation of women in decision-making, combined with an explicit focus on diversity and inclusion, can make a significant contribution in overturning the worst effects of Covid-19 responses on inequalities. A higher women’s presence in decision-making means that women’s interests are more likely to be addressed in policy discussions and outcomes.&nbsp

Emerging global and national data show increases in gender-based violence and increases in the reported number of cases of gender-based violence against women and LGBTQI persons during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESISTIRÉ analysis shows that a majority of countries failed to address issues of gender-based violence in their COVID-19 policy response and while civil society organisations managed to react in some instances, the pandemic also put pressure and circumscribed their range of activities.

The pandemic has made visible the need for hospitals to offer the adapted working conditions and to deliver a service of the highest quality. Healthcare workers are leaving the sector faster than ever because of poor working conditions, lack of an adequate work-life balance, and work-related safety and health risks, which were exacerbated during the pandemic. Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) are a proven method to initiate a process of sustainable institutional change to the benefit of the quality of care, that is linked to the motivation and well-being of the people working in hospitals.

COVID-19 and the associated policy measures that curbed vast stretches of public life highlighted the need for more urban green spaces, as people started to utilise existing green areas significantly more (in countries where parks and other green spaces were not closed down). This trend also emphasisedthe fact that some neighbourhoods – often populated by vulnerable socioeconomic groups, such as ethnic minorities, low-skilled and informal workers, etc. – have a lot less green space than others, exacerbating physical and mental health problems, as well as making it more difficult for people to socialise and engage in community-building.

Although gender mainstreaming has been adopted as an approach in EU policymaking for over two decades, national-level policies are largely still not mainstreamed. Gender mainstreaming should not only be an ambition, it should also be implemented, monitored, and evaluated, with concrete results and impact. In particular, policies should not only focus on so-called “traditional” or “typical” family models, citizenship criteria, and standard employment contracts, as this focus results in the exclusion of large segments of European societies (e.g., LGBTQI+ people, the unemployed, migrants etc.).

The COVID-19 crisis led to the rapid and widespread adoption of telework in a multitude of sectors to curb the spread of the virus, while also allowing organisations and companies to continue their activities. This sudden imposition of telework strongly impacted the relationships of people with regards to their jobs and their work-life balance, though these effects, both positive and negative, were not experienced in equal measure across all societal groups. However, while telework can, for instance, reinforce existing gender care and labour gaps, it can also serve as a catalyst for narrowing these gaps.

Emerging global and national data show increases in gender-based violence and increases in the reported number of cases of gender-based violence against women and LGBTQI persons during the COVID-19 pandemic. The failure to finalise the adoption of the Istanbul Convention at the EU level is a contributing factor to increasing the conditions for and occurrences of gender-based violence during the pandemic.

Graphical abstract, The COVID-19 crisis has immensely impacted the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development worldwide. This research aims at providing a policy response to support achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) taking the COVID-19 long-term implications into account. To do so, a qualitative analytical method was employed in the following four steps. First, a fuzzy cognitive map was developed to specify causal-effect links of the interdependent SDGs in Iran as a developing country in the Middle East. Second, potential effects of the pandemic on the SDGs achievement were analyzed. Third, five strategies were formulated, including green management, sustainable food systems, energizing the labor market, inclusive education, and supporting research and technology initiatives in the energy sector. And finally, different scenarios corresponding to the five proposed strategies were tested based on the identified interconnections among the SDGs. The analysis showed that applying each of the five considered strategies or their combination would mitigate the effect of COVID-19 on the SDGs only in case of a medium pandemic activation level. Moreover, implementing a single strategy with a high activation level leads to better outcomes on the SDGs rather than applying a combination of strategies in low or medium activation levels during the pandemic situation. The provided insights support stakeholders and policy-makers involved in the post-COVID-19 recovery action plan towards implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The COVID-19 crisis has reinforced many pre-existing inequalities, and simultaneously made them more visible. The lockdowns brought with them the closure of many care facilities and the requirement to stay at home, which strongly impacted people with caring responsibilities, whether it be for children, elderly people, people with a disability, and/or others. But the situation impacted men and women in different ways, as the gender care gap was exacerbated, and women took up more care work. The gender pay gap likely contributed to this trend: because women tend to earn lower wages and work in part-time jobs more often, they were the most likely to have to give up their paid work within a couple in order to sustain the increased caring duties of a household.

Soil pollution due to toxic elements (TEs) has been a core environmental concern globally, particularly in areas with developed industries. In this study, we sampled 300 surface (0–0.2 m) soil samples from Yuyao City in eastern China. Initially, the geo-accumulation index, potential ecological risk index, single pollution index, and Nemerow composite pollution index were used to evaluate the soil contamination status in Yuyao City. Ordinary kriging was then deployed to map the distribution of the soil TEs. Subsequently, indicator kriging was utilized to identify regions with high risk of TE pollution. Finally, the positive matrix factorization model was used to apportion the sources of the different TEs. Our results indicated that the mean content of different TEs kept the order: Zn &gt, Cr &gt, Pb &gt, Cu &gt, Ni &gt, As &gt, Hg ≈ Cd. Soil pollution was mainly caused by Cd and Hg in the soil of Yuyao City, while the content of other TEs was maintained at a safe level. Regions with high TE content and high pollution risk of TEs are mainly located in the central part of Yuyao City. Four sources of soil TEs were apportioned in Yuyao City. The Pb, Hg, and Zn contents in soil were mainly derived from traffic activities, coal combustion, and smelting. Meanwhile, Cu was mainly sourced from industrial emissions and atmospheric deposition, Cr and Ni mainly originated from soil parental materials, and Cd and As were produced by industrial and agricultural activities. Our study provides important implications for improving the soil environment and contributes to the development of efficient strategies for TE pollution control and remediation.

Context: Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs) are science-based recommendations in the form of guidelines for healthy eating. They provide information and advice on foods and dietary patterns to consumers to promote the overall health and prevent chronic disease. As of now, these FBDGs lack information about the sustainability of food products. Consumer food choices have a large impact on human and planetary health and wellbeing, as the production and processing of diets make up between 20% and 30% of the total greenhouse gas emission of consumable goods in the European Union (EU). A plethora of different ecolabels exist to aid consumers in making sustainable choices when purchasing items, both food and non-food products. These ecolabels make it easier for consumers to choose eco-friendly product alternatives, with the aim of lowering the environmental impact of the products a consumer buys. While the growth of ecolabels may be interpreted as a sign of success, label overload and gaps in the understanding might result in confusion for consumers, resulting in the limit of use of these already existing ecolabels. Therefore, this policy brief proposes the development of a universal, understandable ecolabel for food products, to enable consumers to make better informed decisions. Policy Options: Three policy options are examined. Firstly, a hypothetical ‘do nothing’ scenario is considered, in which food ecolabels are not used. As a second alternative, the use of carbon footprint labelling is examined. Lastly, the implementation of a “traffic light” colour pattern label that uses the colours green, orange and red to demonstrate low, medium and high environmental impact, respectively, is examined. Recommendations: In order to determine the best policy option, the three proposed policy options are compared using five evaluation criteria (time of implementation, cost of implementation, ease of implementation, consumer friendliness and positive environmental impact). The traffic light ecolabel had the highest overall score, and it is thus recommended that this food ecolabel should be used. Lastly, it is recommended that the ecolabel is incorporated into the already existing EU ecolabel, in an effort to increase consumer knowledge and understanding of this novel ecolabel. Acknowledgments: This research was supported by Professor Suzanne M. Babich. Associate Dean of Global Health and Professor, Health Policy and Management, at the Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, for North America. Authors’ contributions: All authors contributed equally to this work. Conflict of Interest: None declared. Source of Funding: None declared, South Eastern European Journal of Public Health (SEEJPH), Special Volume No. 3, 2021: Leading Policy Change In Public Health