The Impact of COVID-19 on Child Marriage and Other Gender-Based Violence

By Saeda Bilkis BaniDHAKA, Bangladesh, Dec 21 2020 (IPS) I recently visited rural areas of Bangladesh amid the COVID-19 pandemic and returned to Dhaka with a new understanding of the impact that COVID-19 is having on child marriage, a harmful practice that is a global challenge. The fundamental shift that I saw was that child marriage, which has typically been encouraged by struggling parents, is now being encouraged by struggling girls. This worrisome trend underscores a new burden of the pandemic on the poor. Marriage before the age of 18 is a fundamental violation of human rights. Yet UNICEF reported in April that the number of girls married in childhood stands at 12 million per year worldwide. According to the United Nations Population Fund’s State of the World Population 2020 report, COVID-19 threatens to make even that stunning number worse. The agency estimates that COVID-19 will disrupt efforts to end child marriage, potentially resulting in an additional 13 million child marriages taking place between 2020 and 2030 that could otherwise have been averted. The challenge is not only the disease but the response to the disease – especially the impact of school closings, which have been in effect nationally since March. The transition from in-school to online learning can easily seem like a mechanical one, but it creates new challenges for remote and poor communities. Saeda Bilkis BaniWhat I witnessed in visiting rural communities was girls totally bored and home-bo...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Aid Asia-Pacific Crime & Justice Economy & Trade Education Financial Crisis Gender Gender Violence Headlines Health Human Rights Humanitarian Emergencies Labour Poverty & SDGs TerraViva United Nations Source Type: news