Teen girls are burdened with household chores that’s keeping them away from schools

• The most acute effect has been felt by adolescent girls aged 15-18 years, says a study by an NGO.
  
• Adolescent girls, on an average, spend over 3.5 hours per day on household chores, after the pandemic.
  
• Adolescent girls yearned to return to school to be able to meet their peers, said a report by Educate Girls.
  
• Three out of four adolescent girls continue to carry the burden of household chores even after schools reopen.

A new study conducted by Educate Girls, a non-profit organisation, reveals that the pandemic has had a deep impact on India’s adolescent girls. Not only has increased poverty taken them away from schools, they are also subjected to increased pressure of early marriage and household chores.

After the pandemic, the number of hours spent on household chores for adolescent girls has increased by more than one hour a day. It now averages at over 3.5 hours per day.

“The pandemic has affected both boys and girls, but the most acute effect has been felt by adolescent girls aged 15-18 years,” the study said.

It has also taken them further away from schools and their peers, something that has also been aggravated by a dramatic loss of income in many households.

"The findings of the study are clear - the barriers to girls' education are greater than ever before and we need to fight greater odds to ensure these girls go to school, don't drop out, and continue learning. The impact is most acute for adolescent girls. The study also highlights the stories of girls and the long-term effect the pandemic has left on their lives," says Safeena Husain, founder and board member, Educate Girls.

The study was conducted between November and December 2021 in rural parts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. It received responses from 3,200 girls and boys aged between 5-18 years.

Waking up early to do chores

School closures have taken away the ability of young girls to interact with peers. The proportion of adolescent girls not attending school (23%) was nearly double that of adolescent boys not attending school.

Moreso, those who went back also continue to be burdened with increased household work – forcing them to find a balance between school and house work.

“During discussions, mothers mentioned that girls are waking up earlier to complete their household tasks before school and even after. Boys on the other hand, only help when they feel like it and mothers cannot always rely on them to help out,” the report said.

Three out of four adolescent girls will continue to carry the burden of household chores even when schools reopen.

“Adolescent girls yearned to return to school to be able to meet their peers. As schools reopen, those who return to school will have to continue to find balance between school and household work. For many others, returning to school will require the combined effort of their community, their parents, their schools, and the government bodies operating in their ecosystems,” the report said.

Even before the pandemic, things have been bad for young girls as compared to their male counterparts. Adolescent girls work as many as 120-150% more hours than boys in Indian households, quoting a 2017 report.

Girls in this age group also expressed their willingness to go back to school to take a break from the household chores.

“Evidence from lower-income countries where inherent gender inequalities exist points to the fact that the lockdown has resulted in an increased burden of household chores on girls,” the report said

In India, the closure of 1.5 million schools in 2020 impacted around 247 million children enrolled in elementary and secondary schools.

Burden of early marriage

Another study by Educate Girls named Girls-Not-Brides highlighted that out-of-school girls who are overburdened at home were also being forced to get married. This, the study says, would further lead to more chances of early pregnancy, domestic abuse and violence.

Poverty and financial distress also led the parents to marry off their girls at an early age during Covid.

According to the study, 30% of the girls participated in the survey in Uttar Pradesh were already married. In Rajasthan, there has been a significant increase in the number of marriage proposals coming to young girls.

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