The extended closure of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic is having a negative impact on adolescents. This impact has been exacerbated in many places by limited access to the Internet for remote training and learning. In many contexts, boys have better access to virtual communication and digital technologies than girls, who also have more domestic and care responsibilities. As part of the Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) study, researchers conducted a three rounds survey among 2,000 students in Bangladesh to understand the differentiated impact of the pandemic on male and female adolescents. Female adolescents reported less support for education and access to learning materials, and more household and care responsibilities. They also reported a decline in their ambitions to pursue higher education. The data also identifies learning gaps between rural and urban areas and households with different pre-COVID-19 wealth levels.

Authors: TM Asaduzzaman, Sarah Baird, Nicola Jones, Shwetlena Sabarwal, Jennifer Seager, Salauddin Tauseef