What does the pandemic mean for children?
On 9 December former Eurochild Children’s Council Member, Konstantinos, unveiled the results of the #CovidUnder19 global survey in the presence of our partners, stakeholders and decision makers.
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused severe social and emotional disruption in the lives of children by depriving them of physical education and by making them feel highly unsafe and stressed within their homes.
To better understand the impact of the pandemic, Eurochild and international partners such as Terre des hommes and the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence Against Children, have developed the “Life Under Coronavirus” initiative. This is a survey designed by children and for children aged between 8 to 17 years, and us available in 27 different languages.
More than 26 000 children participated worldwide and an additional 5 000 responded to a shorter poll on issues of protection, safety and peer-to-peer support, disseminated via UNICEF’s U-Report.
“It is a powerful experience to listen to the perspective of children from all around the world regarding a situation that has affected them massively, yet has left them excluded from the decision making process. Covidunder19 is a living example of how governments, civil society organisations, and children can work, learn and share experiences together.” – said Konstantinos, former member of the Eurochild Children’s Council and one of the initiators of the #Covidunder19 initiative.
Key findings:
- 61% of children said they were getting a better education before the pandemic
- 56% shared they got less chances to talk to their friends
- 41% said their family struggled financially during the pandemic
- 38% said their governments do not listen to children when making decisions on the pandemic
- 17% of children aged between 13 and 17 felt the portrayal of children in the media had gotten worse since the start of the pandemic.
“The outcomes from the children’s consultations clearly indicate that children have made an effort to put forth their voice on the pandemic to inform public policy. It is now the responsibility of the decision makers at the national and EU level to take the views of 26.000 children into account, and put children at the heart of Europe’s recovery.” says Jana Hainsworth, Eurochild Secretary General.
Contact: Mieke Schuurman, Senior Policy Advisor Child Rights & Safeguarding, mieke.schuurman@eurochild.org
