Introduction
Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown was extremely harsh time for a lot of people. The most affected sections of the society were the poor workers, migrant labourers and the daily wage earners. Many families have not been able to recover from the financial crisis put forth by the covid-19 pandemic. One section of the society majorly affected by the covid was girls and women.
Impact of Covid on girl children
Girl children are much more likely to face discrimination and bias. In India about 40% of girl children between 15-18 years of age do not attend school. The following is the impact of covid on girls:
- Access to education : In a report by Save the Children research, it was found that while the classes had shifted online, only 33% of girl students in India could attend online classes. This is due to factors like unequal access to digital and technological resources as well as the responsibility on the girls to carry out the household chores.
- Access to health and sanitation : It was discovered by the World of India’s Girls report that 68% of girls (about ⅔) struggle to access health and nutrition services. About 80% of girls could not access sanitary items. The lack of infrastructure, money and awareness as well as the lockdown imposed in the March are contributing factors.
- Impact on opportunities : Pandemic and lockdown restricted the girls’ opportunities. While earlier they could go out to play, now this was being limited by lockdown. Half of the mothers believe that the chances of girls getting married off were much higher. It was also found that girls were required to do more household chores than before the pandemic.
What can you do?
Support NGOs like Fikrah in helping girl children get equal access to resources that every child deserves. Donate to us or volunteer with us in any capacity to make a change.