Over 11m girls may never go back to school after pandemic: UNICEF

As the world enters a third year of Covid-19 and works toward a post-pandemic era, true recovery must be gender equal, said a statement by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell on International Women’s Day.

“On International Women’s Day, we acknowledge the international community’s hard-fought gains for the world’s women and girls…But the fight for gender equality is far from over,” said the statement released on Tuesday. 

Ongoing school closures, economic stress, and service disruptions are putting the health, wellbeing, and futures of the most vulnerable girls at risk, it added.

“Covid-19 is devastating the lives of girls. Globally, over 11 million girls may never go back to school after the pandemic,” UNICEF claimed, adding that an additional 10 million girls are at risk of child marriage over the next decade.

Two million additional cases of female genital mutilation may occur, the statement added, quoting UNFPA.

Mentioning that lockdown was forcing girls to shoulder more household labour and often placing them in close quarters with an abuser, the statement said it caused more incidences of gender-based violence, including sexual violence.

“We cannot let a generation of girls bear the cost of this pandemic for the rest of their lives,” UNICEF said.

In order to put girls at the centre of global, national, and local pandemic response and recovery plans, UNICEF mentioned three measures in the statement: keeping schools open to allow girls to resume their education, reinvesting in girls’ health and education, and protecting girls from all forms of violence.

“Girls all over the world are standing up for their rights and calling for exactly these kinds of steps. We need to listen,” UNICEF urged.

“On International Women’s Day, let’s commit to a girl-focused Covid-19 recovery that helps create a more just and equal post-pandemic world for girls, and a brighter, more peaceful and prosperous future for us all.”