On 8 March 2020, Bangladesh announced the first case of COVID-19 followed by a national lockdown on 26 March to prevent human transmission. The multidimensional socio-economic impacts and climate induced disaster vulnerability; deterioration of natural resource base of both rural and urban people including children are typically deprived of the basic services like water, sanitation, nutrition, education, health, information and shelter. The complex situation is triggered significantly by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most low-income vulnerable communities in rural and urban settings depend primarily on daily income, and therefore, the loss of these sources of livelihood has forced them to rely on incompetent long-term mechanisms of coping. Covid-19 pandemic has brought new realities in terms of increasing trend of child labour and sufferings for working children in Bangladesh.
Objectives of the study
The study was conducted to assess the situation of working children and figure out recommendations to improve their livelihoods for advocating with concerned Government department(s).
The assessment has covered the following specific objectives:
- To explore the current status of the different type of child labour vulnerability in the selected areas and Covid 19 impact
- To identify best practices in that community to reduce number of children labour
- To develop a model that is replicable to other areas
- To prepare report with meaningful recommendations for sharing with the public, government high officials, donors, stakeholders etc.
Methodology of the study
The study was conducted at the eight districs (Barishal, Patuakhali, Bhola, Dhaka, Cumilla, Gazipur, Jhinaidaha and Khulna) in urban and rural areas through:
- Assessing knowledge attitude and practice (KAP) of community to children and child labour and its allies.
- Understanding sex and age segregated impact perception and knowledge on COVID 19 and its impact on children.
- Exploring sustainable manner of reducing child labour and COVID-19 impact mitigation.
Funded by
