We are delighted to introduce the Politics & Gender short paper series on Gender, Politics, and the Global Pandemic. From the earliest, disruptive days, it has been clear that the politics of the Covid-19 pandemic are gendered in multiple ways. We believed that Politics & Gender had a particular role to play in facilitating the publication of rigorous, peer-reviewed research on this topic in a timely manner to aid scholarship, pedagogy, and public discussion. And so, in mid-May, we issued a call for short research papers that would make an “immediate contribution to academic knowledge, public discussion, and/or policy-making” about the “gendered dimensions of political and/or policy responses or impact.”

Scholars rose to the challenge with a range of papers that advance our understanding of the gendered dynamics of this global health crisis. Between mid-May and the end of June 2020, we received more than 140 submissions from around the world. We could not have considered these papers so rapidly without the more than 130 scholars who agreed to provide reviews in just 5 days. We want to particularly recognize political scientists Tiffany Barnes (Kentucky) and Erin Cassese (Delaware) who each contributed 4 reviews, Amanda Bittner (Memorial) and Kristin Goss (Duke) who each contributed 3, and another 19 faculty who reviewed 2 Covid-19 papers for the journal in a very short period of time.

The Gender, Politics, and the Global Pandemic series ultimately featured 24 articles, which were published quickly on-line and now appear in print in this issue. The topics fall into three broad categories: Gender, leadership, and policymaking on Covid-19; gender, health, and public opinion during the Covid-19 pandemic; and Covid-19, caring, and inequality. The papers address such questions as: Were women leaders more successful in managing Covid-19 response? Why are men less likely to report wearing face coverings? How did the pandemic impact elections?

Finally, we are grateful to Chris Robinson and Cambridge University Press, which encouraged and supported this series from day one. The press has made all of the Covid-19 series articles gold standard open access forever, ensuring that scholars, press, and public can have access to this vital research.