COVID Endangers Human Rights of Children

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By Nina Simone Grotch

As of today, there have been over 73 million cases and 1.6 million deaths from COVID-19 worldwide. The pandemic hit the globe over 10 months ago and its repercussions go far beyond health. The full scope of the damage to many communities, populations, and nations will not be fully known for years. The virus, the restrictions, closure of schools and day care centers, and the massive hit to world economies also have great implications for human rights around the world. Children are particularly vulnerable.

DANGERS TO CHILDREN DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

While children are at lower risk of dying from COVID or from having severe symptoms, it does not mean that they are not impacted by the pandemic. According to Human Rights Watch,

“More than 1.5 billion students are out of school, and widespread job and income loss and economic insecurity are likely to increase rates of child labor, sexual exploitation, teenage pregnancy, and child marriage. Stresses on families, particularly those living under quarantines, lockdowns and other restrictions on freedom of movement, may increase the incidence of violence in the home. As the global death toll from COVID-19 increases, large numbers of children will be orphaned and vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.”[i]

At a time where so many schools are closed where remote learning is not an option, children are stuck at home. Those who are out of school may be falling behind in terms of their learning but perhaps more importantly, they are losing access to the many critical services often provided at school. The provision of nutritious meals and access to clean water and sanitation has been halted. Healthcare, including sexual and reproductive healthcare, is another important service often provided at schools: many schools offer education about sexually transmitted infections, HIV, and contraception. The loss of these services can have a devastating impact.

Many students around the world will not return to school. This is especially true for girls and young women. Girls are being forced into sex work or child marriages as a way of bringing money back to their families. According to an August 2020 UNESCO report,

“11 million. That’s the number of girls who might not return to school this year due to COVID-19’s unprecedented education disruption. This alarming number not only threatens decades of progress made towards gender equality, but also puts girls around the world at risk of adolescent pregnancy, early and forced marriage, and violence. For many girls, school is more than just a key to a better future. It’s a lifeline.”[ii]

Many families, desperate for money, are forced to make untenable choices for their children. Parents and adult family members may be sick or dead and the lack of work puts incredible stress on the family. Some children are pulled out of school in order to work and earn money for their families.

This work is often physically demanding or cruel, puts children in dangerous situations, and takes them away from school or learning. This includes scavenging from scrap metal, mining for sand and worse. Child protection and labor laws are ignored by employers who are eager for cheap labor. Children may only earn pennies for their efforts.[iii]  The dangers of the pandemic reach far beyond the health implications.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

Educate yourself about the human rights impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has created. Contact government and community leaders and advocate for better protections for children and youth. Help to spread the word, and amplify campaigns, like this one from Girls Not Brides about girls and the dangers of child marriages. Or join this campaign from UNESCO to protect education for girls everywhere.

Resources

Notes

[i] Human Rights Watch, “COVID-19 and Children’s Rights,” April 9, 2020, https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/04/09/covid-19-and-childrens-rights.

[ii] COVID-19 Global Education Coalition, “Keeping Girls in the Picture,” UNESCO,  https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse/girlseducation.

[iii] Jeffrey Gettleman and Suhasini Raj, “As Covid-19 Closes Schools, the World’s Children Go to Work,” The New York Times, September 27, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/27/world/asia/covid-19-india-children-school-education-labor.html.