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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Assessment Of Overseas Labor Migration Systems In Bangladesh, Sigma Ainul, Eashita Haque, K.G. Santhya, Ubaidur Rob Oct 2022

Assessment Of Overseas Labor Migration Systems In Bangladesh, Sigma Ainul, Eashita Haque, K.G. Santhya, Ubaidur Rob

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Bangladesh is a significant labor-sending country, with about 7.8 million Bangladeshis working abroad. Major destinations for migrant workers are the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Female migrants represent 12 percent of the migration flow, with a majority engaged as domestic workers. Migration to GCC countries is characterized by short-term temporary migration, migration of low- and semi-skilled workers, laborers with low literacy level, debt-financed migration, and often migration through unofficial channels. The overseas labor recruitment industry often leaves migrants susceptible to human trafficking, forced labor, and modern slavery. Also, many migrants return empty-handed and with huge debt. The Population Council in …


Gendered Effects Of Covid-19 School Closures: Bangladesh Case Study, Eashita Haque, Natalie Wyss, Emily Eunyoung Cho, Karen Austrian Mar 2022

Gendered Effects Of Covid-19 School Closures: Bangladesh Case Study, Eashita Haque, Natalie Wyss, Emily Eunyoung Cho, Karen Austrian

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This brief summarizes a recent study on the impacts of COVID-19 school closures in rural communities in Bangladesh. It clarifies issues of remote learning access, management, and monitoring, as well as new strains on students’ time use. It also reveals general impacts on mental and physical health, economic status, as well as gendered effects including child marriage. Based on evaluations of mitigation measures, recommendations for comprehensive policies, provision of technical, financial, and social support, and improvements in education systems emerged.


Gendered Effects Of Covid-19 School Closures: India Case Study, Neelanjana Pandey, Emily Eunyoung Cho, Shilpi Rampal, Karen Austrian Mar 2022

Gendered Effects Of Covid-19 School Closures: India Case Study, Neelanjana Pandey, Emily Eunyoung Cho, Shilpi Rampal, Karen Austrian

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This brief summarizes a case study that assessed the gendered impact of COVID-19 school closures on education, health, well-being, and protection of adolescents in India. Based on surveys and interviews in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, findings point to the digital divide for girls as well as shared barriers to effective remote learning. Informed by the evidence, the study presents recommendations to scale up efforts to improve remote learning, reduce digital divide and strengthen teacher support, with a particular attention to addressing gendered differences.


Gendered Effects Of Covid-19 School Closures: Pakistan Case Study, Iram Kamran, Tahira Parveen, Rehan M. Niazi, Maqsood Sadiq, Fatima Azeem, Emily Eunyoung Cho, Karen Austrian Mar 2022

Gendered Effects Of Covid-19 School Closures: Pakistan Case Study, Iram Kamran, Tahira Parveen, Rehan M. Niazi, Maqsood Sadiq, Fatima Azeem, Emily Eunyoung Cho, Karen Austrian

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This brief summarizes a case study conducted to assess the gendered impacts of COVID-19 school closures on adolescent girls and boys in three districts in the province of Punjab in Pakistan. Data as well as discussions and interviews with adolescents, teachers, and parents shed light on difficulties in accessing and adjusting to remote learning, learning loss, deterioration of behaviors and health, and other effects. Based on these findings and further reflections by stakeholders on the successes and gaps of mitigation measures, the case study proposes recommendations for improved teacher training, digital access, alternative learning options, and a gendered focus in …


Gendered Effects Of Covid-19 School Closures: Kenya Case Study, Faith Mbushi, Natalie Wyss, Emily Eunyoung Cho, Karen Austrian, Eva Ireri Muluve, Laura Muthoni, Beth Kangwana Mar 2022

Gendered Effects Of Covid-19 School Closures: Kenya Case Study, Faith Mbushi, Natalie Wyss, Emily Eunyoung Cho, Karen Austrian, Eva Ireri Muluve, Laura Muthoni, Beth Kangwana

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This brief summarizes a case study that assessed the gendered impact of COVID-19 school closures in Kenya. COVID-19 school closures escalated education inequalities especially for girls and young people in rural areas. These closures exacerbated adolescent mental health issues, food and economic insecurity, and experiences of violence. COVID-19 response programs implemented by both the Government of Kenya and non-state actors were not able to fully mitigate the impacts of school closures for adolescents, teachers, or schools. Continued efforts to understand the implications of school closures and to support vulnerable students are needed.


Keeping Girls In Schools To Reduce Child Marriage In Rural Bangladesh: Endline Assessment, Sigma Ainul, Forhana Rahman Noor, Md. Irfan Hossain, Iqbal Ehsan, Mehnaz Manzur, Ubaidur Rob, Sajeda Amin Feb 2022

Keeping Girls In Schools To Reduce Child Marriage In Rural Bangladesh: Endline Assessment, Sigma Ainul, Forhana Rahman Noor, Md. Irfan Hossain, Iqbal Ehsan, Mehnaz Manzur, Ubaidur Rob, Sajeda Amin

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This report describes findings of changes over time attributable to the “Keeping Girls in Schools” study in Bangladesh that implemented skill-building activities for a two-year period in the districts of Chapainawabganj, Kushtia, and Sherpur. The project sought to bring about change in child marriage norms prevalent in the area by offering young girls a safe place to meet after school hours with mentors and teachers and to offer girls tutoring support and life-skills. The project was implemented by the Population Council with the cooperation of secondary schools in the community and was supported by UNICEF under the aegis of the …


Role Of Debt In Overseas Labour Migration In India, K.G. Santhya, Snigdha Banerjee, Basant Kumar Panda, A.J. Francis Zavier, Avishek Hazra, Shilpi Rampal Jan 2022

Role Of Debt In Overseas Labour Migration In India, K.G. Santhya, Snigdha Banerjee, Basant Kumar Panda, A.J. Francis Zavier, Avishek Hazra, Shilpi Rampal

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Population Council, in partnership with the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, undertook a multicomponent study to better understand the relationship between debt and overseas labor migration from India. The study shed light on: levels and patterns of household indebtedness among migrant households, with a special focus on households with overseas migrants; cost of overseas labor migration from India and the role of debt in financing overseas migration; role of debt in migration-related decisions; differences in work-related choices and experiences and financial vulnerabilities migrant workers experienced by household indebtedness; and migrant workers’ …


Addressing Commercial Sexual Exploitation Of Women And Children Through Prevention And Reintegration Approaches: Lessons From Bangladesh And India, K.G. Santhya, Sigma Ainul, Snigdha Banerjee, Avishek Hazra, Eashita Haque, Basant Kumar Panda, A.J. Francis Zavier, Shilpi Rampal Jan 2022

Addressing Commercial Sexual Exploitation Of Women And Children Through Prevention And Reintegration Approaches: Lessons From Bangladesh And India, K.G. Santhya, Sigma Ainul, Snigdha Banerjee, Avishek Hazra, Eashita Haque, Basant Kumar Panda, A.J. Francis Zavier, Shilpi Rampal

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Global Estimates of Modern Slavery report of 2021 stated that 6.3 million people were in situations of forced commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) on any given day worldwide. Asia and the Pacific region (which includes South Asia) were host to more than half of the global total of forced labor, including those in CSE. Bangladesh is one of the three main countries of origin for trafficked persons in South Asia. India has been identified as a source, destination, and transit location for trafficking of forced labor, including CSE. Though governments in both countries have made commitments to prevent and combat …


Ethical Recruitment And Employment In The Construction Industry In India: Perspectives And Experiences Of Workers And Micro-Contractors, K.G. Santhya, A.J. Francis Zavier, Snigdha Banerjee, Shilpi Rampal Jan 2022

Ethical Recruitment And Employment In The Construction Industry In India: Perspectives And Experiences Of Workers And Micro-Contractors, K.G. Santhya, A.J. Francis Zavier, Snigdha Banerjee, Shilpi Rampal

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

In India, the construction industry is the second-largest employer, with 51 million workers currently employed. Contracting and subcontracting has contributed to the rise of intermediary labor contractors, who provide migrants with information about labor markets and bring them to construction sites for work. Engagement in physically demanding low-skill jobs, low wages, harsh working conditions, and often deplorable living arrangements characterize the lives of many migrant construction workers. The Population Council, in partnership with the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, undertook a qualitative study to explore the nature of the labor supply chain …


Promoting Safe Overseas Labour Migration: Lessons From Ask’S Safe Migration Project In India, K.G. Santhya, A.J. Francis Zavier, Shilpi Rampal, Avishek Hazra Jan 2022

Promoting Safe Overseas Labour Migration: Lessons From Ask’S Safe Migration Project In India, K.G. Santhya, A.J. Francis Zavier, Shilpi Rampal, Avishek Hazra

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

More than a quarter of all overseas Indians resided in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in 2020. Migration to Gulf countries is dominated by unskilled and semi-skilled workers who work on a contract basis and who must return home once their contract expires. The Indian government has introduced measures to promote safe overseas migration for work, but labor exploitations in the India-GCC migration corridors are widely documented. The Global Fund to End Modern Slavery (GFEMS) in partnership with the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) supported the Association for Stimulating Know-how (ASK) in pilot-testing a project to build a safe …