By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The disproportionate impact of Covid on girls, with a focus on urban slums populations, was brought out in a recent a research-led study. In urban slums in four states, about 68 per cent of adolescent girls faced challenges in accessing health and nutrition services during the pandemic, while 67 per cent did not attend online classes, and 56 per cent did not get time to indulge in outdoor recreation, said Save the Children, India, in the report released on Wednesday.
The report, ‘The World of India’s Girls: Wings 2022’, was conducted in four states – Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Telangana. About 1,092 mothers and 1,092 girls in the 10-18 age group were surveyed. “Majority of adolescent girls in urban slums deprived of basic health and education services compared to boys throughout the pandemic,” the report said, which focused on access to health, education, and opportunities for play and recreation for adolescent girls in Delhi.
According to Sudarshan Suchi, CEO, Save the Children, “India at 100 cannot achieve its full potential unless we secure 100 percent of its children today. The report is our way of bringing to the fore the risks our nation runs into by not investing in and ensuring all its children. Specifically, the fact that India @75 has almost half its children not able to secure themselves with their fundamental rights equitably.”
The pandemic also increased health and nutritional insecurities as shops were closed, or provisions were not available, it said. Calling for multi-stakeholder collaboration, the report said as the impact of Covid-19 will continue to impact the lives of girls, there is a need to ensure their better health, nutrition, education, and protection services, and make them well-resourced and inclusive with better investments.
Delhi
4 in 5 households (79%) suffered food insufficiency
2 in 3 mothers (63%) said their daughters faced difficulties in accessing sanitary napkins
Closure of edu facilities disrupted 320 million children
1 in 5 girls (20%) were not contacted by school staff
Maharashtra
2 in 3 mothers (68%) said Covid impacted their daughter’s learning
Only 1 in 2 adolescent girls (54%) attended online classes
Almost all mothers (97%) said they did not come across awareness around the issues of child marriage
Telangana
2 in 5 adolescent girls (40%) said they did not have access to or receive health and nutrition services
1 in 3 adolescent girls (37 %) did not have access to information on sexual and reproductive health rights
Bihar
3 in 4 mothers (73%) said the pandemic adversely impacted their daughter’s learning
Only 2% girls attended online classes during the lockdown period
One in two girls (48%) reported increased household chores as compared to pre-pandemic days
