Policy windows emerge through alignment among specific policy problems, political forces, and proposed policy responses. During policy windows, it becomes possible for change to occur, driven by the agenda-setting of policy entrepreneurs. We consider how the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) created a significant policy window. As we do so, we seek to advance theorization of the conditions under which policy change occurs and when it sticks. We ground this discussion in exploration of a salient policy matter: responding to violence against women (VAW). Shortly after the World Health Organization declared the spread of COVID-19 a global pandemic, in April 2020, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuke, Executive Director of United Nations (UN) Women—the entity of the UN dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women—coined VAW the “shadow pandemic” and launched a global public awareness campaign. We review the advocacy work that led in 2020 to broader recognition of VAW as a significant policy problem. That advocacy has driven policy changes at local and national levels that are intended to have long-term, trajectory-altering impacts on reducing violence. We conclude by drawing insights to guide theory-driven empirical analysis of other policy windows.

中文翻译：

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COVID-19 作为政策窗口：应对暴力侵害妇女行为的政策企业家

政策窗口是通过具体政策问题、政治力量和建议的政策反应之间的协调而出现的。在政策窗口期间，在政策企业家的议程设置的推动下，发生变化成为可能。我们考虑了冠状病毒病 (COVID-19) 如何创造了一个重​​要的政策窗口。当我们这样做时，我们寻求推进政策变化发生的条件以及何时发生变化的理论化。我们将这一讨论建立在探索一个突出的政策问题上：应对暴力侵害妇女行为 (VAW)。世界卫生组织于 2020 年 4 月宣布 COVID-19 的传播为全球大流行病后不久，Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuke，联合国（UN）妇女署（联合国致力于性别平等和赋予妇女权力的实体）执行主任将 VAW 称为“影子流行病”，并发起了一场全球公众意识运动。我们回顾了导致 2020 年更广泛地承认 VAW 是一个重大政策问题的宣传工作。这种倡导推动了地方和国家层面的政策变化，旨在对减少暴力产生长期的、改变轨迹的影响。我们得出结论，以指导对其他政策窗口的理论驱动的实证分析。改变轨迹对减少暴力的影响。我们得出结论，以指导对其他政策窗口的理论驱动的实证分析。改变轨迹对减少暴力的影响。我们得出结论，以指导对其他政策窗口的理论驱动的实证分析。