Covid-19 is profoundly affecting the lives of girls as they face pandemic-related travel restrictions and physical distancing restricting their access to the health care, social services and community support that protect them from child marriage, unwanted pregnancy and gender-based violence, UNICEF has pointed out.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, in its analysis, ‘Covid-19: A threat to progress against child marriage’, the world child body has warned that 10 million additional child marriages may occur before the end of the decade, threatening years of progress in reducing the practice.
More so as schools remain closed, girls are more likely to drop out of education and not return while job losses and increased economic insecurity may also force families to marry their daughters to ease financial burdens.
As per the report, India is among five countries in the world which account for about half of the total child brides while worldwide, an estimated 650 million girls and women alive today were married in childhood, with about half of those occurring in Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, India and Nigeria, according to the analysis.
To off-set the impacts of COVID-19 and end the practice by 2030 – the target set out in the Sustainable Development Goals – progress must be significantly accelerated, it said.
“One year into the pandemic, immediate action is needed to mitigate the toll on girls and their families. By reopening schools, implementing effective laws and policies, ensuring access to health and social services – including sexual and reproductive health services – and providing comprehensive social protection measures for families, we can significantly reduce a girl’s risk of having her childhood stolen through child marriage,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore.