Context: The COVID-19 crisis has drawn attention to the insecurities that haunt the lives of the urban poor. Public works could provide valuable support to the urban poor, especially if women get most of the jobs.
A blueprint for Urban employment scheme: Decentralised Urban Employment and Training (DUET).
Best practices: “Service voucher” schemes of some European countries. (they are used by households instead of public institutions, for the purpose of securing domestic services such as cooking and cleaning.)
Conclusion: Public works could provide valuable support to the urban poor, especially if women get most of the jobs. This will ensure better protection of urban poor against disasters like COVID-19 pandemic.