In early May 2024, STAAR Facility convened a workshop with 30 leading researchers representing 25 institutions to start shaping the next iteration of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s gender responsive and inclusive social protection research agenda – building on the excellent work of the GRASSP programme.

Presentations on current research included evaluations of gender-responsive social protection programmes, longitudinal poverty studies, NGO-led social assistance in conflict areas and the gendered impacts of climate change. Studies on social protection’s role in preventing gender-based violence (GBV), promoting women’s economic empowerment, and supporting vulnerable groups were also highlighted.

After two days of rich discussions, the following five points emerged as key research priorities for a future GRISP agenda:

• Social norms and ways to effectively influence them through social protection.
• Care: women’s time doing different types of care work (not only childcare), time use and how social protection can support or compensate for that time.
• Unpacking “plus” integration of systems: cross-sectoral/multi-sectoral, understanding better what works and how.
• Understanding more about the social workforce, including key gender dimensions.
• The gendered dimensions of climate and displacement and the use of social protection to build resilience and mitigate impact.

The discussion at the workshop marked the beginning of an engaging conversation on what research should focus on and how priorities should be defined over the next few months. Additionally, The STAAR Facility will soon open a space for those working in the field to engage in this conversation.