Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/246687 
Year of Publication: 
2021
Series/Report no.: 
School of Economics Discussion Papers No. 2102
Publisher: 
University of Kent, School of Economics, Canterbury
Abstract: 
Using data collected through a telephone-based survey in rural Bangladesh during the height of the pandemic, we present evidence on the effects of COVID-19-led lockdown and school closures on children, focusing on three child-related outcomes: time use of children during the school closure, plans regarding children's schooling continuation, and the incidence of child marriages. Our analysis reveals heterogeneity in the effects of lockdown and school closure in terms of the child's gender and the type of shocks. We find a decrease in children's study time and an increase in time spent on household chores during the school closure, and these changes were significantly larger for girls than for boys. Within the household, respiratory illness lowered expectations that a child would return to school and increased the probability of marriage-related discussions for girls. Our findings offer a cautionary tale regarding the potential longterm effects of pandemic for girls in developing countries.
Subjects: 
COVID-19
school closure
child marriage
children's time allocation
Bangladesh
JEL: 
I25
J12
O53
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size
355.35 kB





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.