As a woman who had a 35-year career enforcing civil rights in education, I am very concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on the education of women and girls in low-income countries. Sadly, in any economic crisis, it’s the girls who are particularly affected. And this pandemic is forcing girls out of school and into child marriages. The U.N. Population Fund reported that COVID-19 could lead to “an additional 13 million child marriages.” The worst effects of this pandemic could be the devastating effects it has on education systems in developing countries. Many of these schools are now closed with more to follow if something is not done.
No society can function productively if the girls and women are deprived of an education. And we have made too much progress to just stand by and watch these gains devolve before our very eyes. I am pleading with legislators to find a way to pass an emergency COVID-19 bill which includes funds for international development.
