This policy brief, part of UNDP's Development Future Series, examines the most at-risk elements of women's income-generation capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The brief presents the possibilities and estimated costs of a temporary basic income (TBI) for women's economic security across the developing world and discusses options for long-term commitments of economic protection and gender equality. Using the example of the Equal Pay Amendment Act in New Zealand, the brief argues that beyond reconciling paid work and family responsibilities, governments must address other sources of the gender pay gap such as horizontal and vertical segregation in the labour market and should include anti-discrimination laws and affirmative action initiatives.