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.

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The decisions made by parents and adolescents during COVID 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 Wednesday at the BRAC Centre Inn in Dhaka.

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 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.

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.

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).

Dr. Imran Matin, Executive Director, BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) said 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.

Md. Golam Sarwar, Secretary, Law and Justice Division, 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.”

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Javed Patel, British Deputy High Commissioner in 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,” he said.

“This research looks at the way adolescents have been limited in their choices and possibilities in the face of COVID.” said 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.”