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Building back equal: girls back to school guide

Building back equal: girls back to school guide

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The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the largest disruption of education in history. Most governments around the world have temporarily closed schools and other learning spaces in recent months in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus. At the peak of the pandemic in April 2020, these nationwide closures impacted more than 1.5 billion students, or over 90% of the world’s student population, from pre-primary to higher education in 200 countries.

This unprecedented disruption to education has the potential to roll back substantial gains made on girls’ education in recent decades, with broader immediate and longer-term effects on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, including those related to poverty reduction, health and well-being, inclusive quality education and gender equality. The most marginalised, including girls with disabilities, those in conflict-affected contexts, remote and rural communities and those in the poorest quintile, are expected to be most affected by COVID-related school closures, facing additional constraints on their ability to fulfil their right to education, health and protection, among other rights.

UNESCO, United Nations Children’s Fund, PLAN International United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative, Malala Fund (2020). Building back equal: girls back to school guide.

Addressing the gender dimensions of school closures

Addressing the gender dimensions of school closures

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Experience tells us that public health outbreaks have distinct gendered impacts, and that preparednessand response efforts must understand the gender dimensions of these crises to avert widening inequalities and seize opportunities to advance gender equality. The COVID-19 pandemic is no different. Most governments around the world have temporarily closed educational institutions in an attempt to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Around the world, countries are aiming to ensure the continuity of learning through alternative delivery modalities, including online learning. It is essential that these efforts consider the risks of exacerbating disparities, and the potential for disengagement and drop out among both boys and girls when schools reopen. While this is a crisis situation, it can also be seen as a window of opportunity to promote innovation, strengthen the resilience and gender-responsiveness of education systems, and close gender gaps and other inequalities in and through education.

UNESCO (2020). Addressing the gender dimensions of school closures.

COVID-19 and adolescent girls: reducing the long term impact

COVID-19 and adolescent girls: reducing the long term impact

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The direct impact of Covid-19 pandemic, the ensuing lockdown across the world and its effect on the population during and after the same is yet to completely emerge. This pandemic forces us, as a global community, to rethink how we look at and interact with each other as human beings and evaluate all the social justice work happening across regions. The pandemic has brought to the fore all the inequities that exist in our society, with the most marginalised communities and identities are bearing the brunt of poor health systems, poor response mechanisms, increased violence, lack of access to technology. Even basic rights of food, housing and access to clean drinking water and sanitation services are compromised for the most economically poor population, making them more vulnerable.

These inequities will impact women and girls even more during and after the lockdown, as they have been a marginalized group even in normal times. Reports emerging during the current times are showing that women and girls have been experiencing more violence and discrimination along with lack of access to resources, education and health services. With the lockdown in place and nowhere to turn to for help, they are forced to compromise and stay in abusive and unsafe homes and communities.

This document tries to highlight and capture some of the critical areas where adolescent girls will be impacted post the Covid-19 pandemic and how one could plan to mitigate some of these by taking a few proactive steps in their settings.

Gandhi, Urvashi. “Covid-19 and Adolescent Girls: Reducing the Long Term Impact.” Breakthrough.

A policy brief: ensuring adequate child nutrition during COVID-19

A policy brief: ensuring adequate child nutrition during COVID-19

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Child malnutrition has long-term consequences for health, development and productivity. Covid-19 is limiting the reach and effectiveness of the two main nutrition programs in India: The Integrated Child Development Scheme and the Mid-day Meal Scheme. Currently, many Anganwadi workers are being overburdened with Covid-19-related activities and have ceased the provision of meals. Children in containment zones are not able to access Anganwadi centres and school children are missing out on their meal. Where rations are being provided, they often do not include all micronutrients and some parents are unaware about appropriate meal preparation and are not feeding their children adequately. Anganwadi workers have also not been provided with protective equipment.

Recommendations were identified based on best practices from around the country, including: (1) Engaging Anganwadi workers to deliver food rations or providing cooked meals to all children aged up to 14 years old, until schools open; (2) Training a separate cadre of Covid-19 community health workers to free up Anganwadi workers; (3) Providing Anganwadi workers with PPE including masks, sanitizers and gloves; (4) Ensuring children receive the right mix of nutrients in meals; (5) Sending Direct Benefit Transfer payments where the provision of meals is difficult; and (6) Training Anganwadi workers to capacity build parents in preparing nutritious meals.

Deepshikha Chhetri and Medhavi Gupta. (2020). A Policy Brief: Ensuring Adequate Child Nutrition During Covid-19. Governance Alliance.

Gendered impacts of COVID-19 school closures: Insights from frontline organizations

Gendered impacts of COVID-19 school closures: Insights from frontline organizations

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COVID-19 school closures pose significant operational and financial risks to frontline organizations delivering vital education services, including non-governmental organizations, school operators, and other service providers. In this survey, we ask these organizations about the challenges they are facing in light of COVID-19 closures, particularly for girls. The responses shed light on how COVID-19 is affecting education service operations – and what providers are doing in response. We uncover three major findings. First, 69 percent of the respondents believe that girls are at a greater risk than boys from COVID-19 school closures, with more than half of those respondents citing girls’ exposure to gender-based violence as a major concern. Second, close to half (42 percent) of the respondents report that their organization is experiencing budget cuts, with 73 percent of those respondents citing a drop in funding from private and philanthropic donors. Third, despite the financial and operational disruptions due to school closures and lockdowns, 89 percent of the respondents report planning and delivering additional vital interventions during the pandemic. It is crucial, now more than ever, that donors and policymakers support and engage with frontline organizations delivering vital services for girls and their communities.

Akmal, M., Hares, S., & O’Donnell, M. (2020). Gendered Impacts of COVID-19 School Closures: Insights from Frontline Organizations. Centre for Global Development.

Pandemics and violence against women and children

Pandemics and violence against women and children

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Times of economic uncertainty, civil unrest, and disaster are linked to a myriad of risk factors for increased violence against women and children (VAW/C). Pandemics are no exception. In fact, the regional or global nature and associated fear and uncertainty associated with pandemics provide an enabling environment that may exacerbate or spark diverse forms of violence. Understanding mechanisms underlying these dynamics are important for crafting policy and program responses to mitigate adverse effects. Based on existing published and grey literature, we document nine main (direct and indirect) pathways linking pandemics and VAW/C, through effects of (on): (1) economic insecurity and poverty-related stress, (2) quarantines and social isolation, (3) disaster and conflict-related unrest and instability, (4) exposure to exploitative relationships due to changing demographics, (5) reduced health service availability and access to first responders, (6) inability of women to temporarily escape abusive partners, (7) virus-specific sources of violence, (8) exposure to violence and coercion in response efforts, and (9) violence perpetrated against health care workers. We also suggest additional pathways with limited or anecdotal evidence likely to effect smaller subgroups. Based on these mechanisms, we suggest eight policy and program responses for action by governments, civil society, international and community-based organizations. Finally, as research linking pandemics directly to diverse forms of VAW/C is scarce, we lay out a research agenda comprising three main streams, to better (1) understand the magnitude of the problem, (2) elucidate mechanisms and linkages with other social and economic factors and (3) inform intervention and response options. We hope this paper can be used by researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to help inform further evidence generation and policy action while situating VAW/C within the broader need for intersectional gender- and feminist-informed pandemic response.

Peterman, Potts, O’Donnell, Thompson, Shah, Oertelt-Prigione, and van Gelder, 2020. “Pandemics and Violence Against Women and Children.” CGD Working Paper 528. Washington, DC: Center for Global Development.

Gender Working Group

We meet online every month to discuss key issues, activities, opportunities and ideas for collaboration. We have a long and growing list of resources on gender and public health emergencies.

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Gender Working Group

We meet online every month to discuss key issues, activities, opportunities and ideas for collaboration. We have a long and growing list of resources on gender and public health emergencies.

JOIN US >

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