Impact of Covid-19 on adolescents have far reaching impact on their future: Study

Long-term school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic crisis have impacted the life transitions of adolescents in a multitude of ways beyond disruption in education, finds a recent study on "Adolescent Girls' Vulnerabilities and Transitions in the Context of Covid-19".

Adolescents reportedly had to grapple with reduced educational aspirations, poorer psychosocial wellbeing, increased restrictions and control over social relations and mobility and pressures to start work, reads a press release.

The decisions made by parents and adolescents during the pandemic will influence their future life trajectories by determining their educational achievements, their reproductive health and also livelihood choices.

Findings from the study were shared at a Research Dissemination Event held on 1 June at the Brac Centre Inn in Dhaka.

The event was jointly organised by the Brac Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), Brac University and the Rule of Law Programme, implemented by GIZ Bangladesh.

The research has been supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), reads the statement.

This is a significant piece of research reflecting the urgency of time. Germany, for its part, has been proud to support this work, in a year where it celebrates 50 years of partnership with Bangladesh.

The mixed-method study, conducted during September to November 2021, aimed to shed light on women and girls' access to justice in Bangladesh by analysing adolescent girls' life transitions in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the research, 35% of adolescents studied for 3-5 hours before the pandemic - which went down to 14% during Covid-19. While Covid-19 did not significantly affect drop-outs rates, at least 35% of the dropouts mentioned that Covid-19 had led to an unwillingness to study further, and another 16% said they could no longer afford it.

Although the study found little variation in the rate of early marriage before and after the pandemic, nearly 50% of the parents said that their decision to marry off their daughters was moderately or highly influenced by Covid-19, reads the release.

Therefore, Covid-19 did encourage some households to take the decision to marry off their daughters as they felt social pressure to ensure that their daughters' and their family's honour would be protected.

Security considerations and perceived reputational risks proved more important than poverty for early marriage and withdrawal from school, according to the study. Security considerations, and not simply poverty, were also important in parental decisions to put boys to work in the context of school closure.

In his opening remarks, Dr Imran Matin, executive director, Brac Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) contextualised the research, "The economic and school closure shock together created an overlapping risk and concerning dynamic which led to the deepening of existing vulnerabilities along with creating new ones. Through our study and the discussion today, we look at what it means in terms of policy and program design. Tackling the economic distress and the importance of educational quality and school as a socialization platform emerges strongly as a policy priority."

In his speech, the Chief Guest of the event, Md Golam Sarwar, secretary, Law and Justice Division, Ministry of Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs (MoLJPA) said, "There is a need to focus on recovery, and support human capability and wellbeing in a holistic sense, across policy areas. The government, development partners and civil society can work together to create a more resilient and inclusive system, within which access to justice is a fundamental human right, regardless of gender and socioeconomic status."

Speaking as Special Guests at the event, Ummey Kulsum, joint secretary (Opinion), Law and Justice Division, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (MoLJPA) and national project director, GIZ Project, said, "The Government has clearly identified the Covid-19 recovery strategy and Gender Equality and Women Empowerment framework in its 8th FYP. After hearing from the research team on the key findings, panellists and the audience, I am convinced that, the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment framework should become an integral part of the Covid recovery strategy. This will help to better respond to the issues raised in the study relating to women and girls." 

Javed Patel, deputy high commissioner, British High Commission, Dhaka said that "BIGD's research, supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, illustrates clearly how the pandemic has exacerbated challenges for adolescents. Bringing both girls and boys back to school is going to be a huge task, with girls' access to education in particular becoming even more precarious. The UK Government's newly launched International Development Strategy focuses on providing women and girls with the freedom they need to succeed and research like this is integral to helping us achieve this."

"This year completes 50 years of German cooperation. Studies like these are at the core of development cooperation. The goal of development initiatives is to enable each and every one to take choices which allow them to live their lives to its full potential. This research looks at the way adolescents have been limited in their choices and possibilities in the face of Covid." said Ms. Caren Blume, Deputy Head of Development Cooperation, German Embassy.

Dr Angelika Fleddermann, country director, GIZ Bangladesh, said, "Adolescent research needs to play a role in shaping the future as over 32 million, that is 21% of Bangladesh's population, are adolescents. This means that the future of Bangladesh lies in the hands of young people. Taking timely decisions and making the right choices for girls and boys will determine the future trajectory of their lives and of Bangladesh's future."

After the presentation on key research findings, a panel discussion was held in the presence of distinguished guests, M M Mahamudullah, additional director (Social Safety Net Wing), Department of Social Services; Shima Moslem, joint general secretary, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad; Dr Safiqul Islam, former director, Education, Brac and Dr Jiniya Afroze, CLARISSA country coordinator, Terre des hommes (Tdh).

The panel discussion was followed by an open and engaging discussion between the panelists and the audience, reads the release.

The research was commissioned by GIZ-supported Rule of Law Programme, a joint initiative under the Ministry of Law Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (MoLJPA) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA). The programme is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

Brac Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) is an independent, social science research and post-graduate teaching centre at Brac University.