The Gendered Impacts of COVID-19 on Adolescents’ School Attendance in Sub-Saharan Africa

Anna B Kis, Claire Elise Boxho, Isis Gaddis, Mousson Estelle Jamel Koussoube and Lea Marie Rouanet

No 10472, Policy Research Working Paper Series from The World Bank

Abstract: As the COVID-19 pandemic led to a historic and widespread shutdown of schools across the world, including in Sub-Saharan Africa, there were general concerns that girls would be disproportionately affected. This study analyzes the effects of the pandemic on the school attendance of adolescent girls and boys in six African countries. The study uses individual-level data on children’s school attendance collected as part of high-frequency phone surveys. Contrary to expectations, the study reveals that there is no evidence to suggest that gender gaps widened during the pandemic. If anything, gender gaps appear to have narrowed in some countries. Further in-depth analysis shows that while being a descendent of the household head, having parents with at least primary education, and above-median household wealth were associated with a higher probability of school attendance among adolescents before the pandemic, these factors lost their salience in explaining school attendance in the aftermath of the pandemic. These results suggest that some traditionally protective forces were eroded during the COVID-19 crisis.

Date: 2023-06-07
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