COVID-19 and the gendered impacts on adolescent wellbeing
Evidence from a cross-sectional study of locally adapted measures in Ethiopia, Jordan, and Palestine
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and associated policy responses have interrupted services, increased financial stress, and driven social isolation, with acute impacts for adolescents. This study explores relationships between gender, COVID-19 vulnerability, social protection, and adolescent wellbeing in three diverse contexts: Ethiopia, Jordan, and Palestine. We find no association between receipt of social protection and adolescent wellbeing, and find that it only moderates the effect of COVID-19 vulnerability for less vulnerable households. Disability status, being out of school, and experiencing child marriage are also associated with adverse outcomes. Our study highlights that the pandemic has exacerbated underlying gender inequalities across adolescents in three very different settings, and that existing social safety nets are not adequate to fully address these impacts, particularly for the most vulnerable.
This is an output of the Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) programme
Citation
Oakley, E., Abuhamad, S., Seager, J., Avuwadah, B., Hamory, J., Jones, N., Małachowska, A., Yadete, W., Abu Hamad, B., Baird, S. (2022) ‘COVID-19 and the gendered impacts on adolescent wellbeing: Evidence from a cross-sectional study of locally adapted measures in Ethiopia, Jordan, and Palestine’ eClinicalMedicine (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101586)