Drawing on the latest data on the gendered impacts of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, and the policy measures enacted in six countries (Kiribati, Indonesia, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tonga) to mitigate these impacts, this brief presents findings on the barriers to and opportunities for evidence-informed decision-making. It draws on experiences from COVID-19 policy-design processes, including first-hand insights from key policy actors and secondary information gathered from the literature. This analysis is useful to provide insights on the way policymaking processes are organized in different countries and the importance of using gender data in times of crises to inform gender-transformative responses and recoveries.