The pandemic’s impact is long-term: the UN warns that it could lead to 13 million more child marriages over a decade
Samita (not her real name) is 17 and lives in the Lamjung district of Nepal. It was never easy, even before coronavirus, for her to attend school full-time. Living in a rural community in a family with little income she was expected to do housework as well.
Samita persisted though. At the beginning of the year, the Sisters for Sisters project run by international development charity VSO was supporting her with an “older sister” mentor, who was encouraging her to keep up her education.
These are huge challenges and the longer we delay in solving them, the bigger the impact will be for girls.
Related: ‘A race against time’: the new law putting Somalia’s children at risk of marriage
What we are seeing and hearing is that more girls than usual are getting pregnant and some of them may not go back to school
Written by Harriet Grant
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/sep/07/why-covid-school-closures-are-making-girls-marry-early under the title “Why Covid school closures are making girls marry early”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
