The threat to female adolescent development from COVID-19

We are investigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the practice of female early marriage in rural Bangladesh by monitoring trends in marriage outcomes. Longitudinal data spanning pre- and post-crisis period is ulitised. The key outcome measures used to examine the effects of COVID-19 are: marital status and marriage offers, school enrolment status, intention to return to school after the lockdown, disruption to learning time and self-reported measures of income loss. A telephone survey was conducted during the week of 12-18 June 2020 (Survey on children, early marriage and COVID-19), directed towards 536 women located in 80 villaeges (from 23 districts) in Bangladesh. The respondents included all women with one or more unmarried daughters aged 9 to 24 years. If additional research funding becomes availabile, the study set up can be used to further track prevalence, trends, determinants and correlates extending into 2021.