Despite many young people in developing countries now returning to education or employment, interrupted learning, less reliable work, food shortages and significant mental health issues are widening inequalities, according to a COVID-19 phone survey from the long-standing Young Lives research team. COVID-19 could not only halt progress but could reverse important gains in educational attainment and future life changes,’ says Dr Marta Favara, Deputy Director, Young Lives at Work. For the world’s poorest girls, being out of school puts them at even greater risk of early marriage, forced labour and violence. Gender: Poorest girls and young women may find it particularly hard to return to education. Young Lives is an international study of childhood poverty and transitions to adulthood, following the lives of 12,000 children in four countries Ethiopia, India (Telangana and Andhra Pradesh), Peru and Vietnam since 2001.
