Plan International Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal.
PLoS One. 2021 Dec 8;16(12):e0260435. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260435. eCollection 2021.
There is a paucity of data on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on girls and young women. The study examines the prevalence and correlates of violence and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service disruption among girls and young women during COVID-19 restrictions and lockdown.
An interactive voice response survey was conducted among girls and women aged 18-24 years between 10th March to 24th April 2021. The survey enrolled 1314 participants. Descriptive analysis was used to assess prevalence of violence and SRH service disruption. Two sampled test of proportion was used to asses difference in prevalence of violence before and after the pandemic. Logistic regression was used to examine relationship between the outcome variables and socio demographic predictors.
The study did not find significant difference in prevalence of violence before and after the pandemic. Education was found to be protective against experience of both physical and sexual violence after the pandemic. Dalit participants were four times more likely to report physical violence after the pandemic than Brahmin/Chhetri participants (OR:3.80; CI:1.41-10.24). Participants from 22-24-year age group were twice as likely to experience sexual violence compared to girls and participants from 18-21year age group (OR:2.25; CI:1.04-4.84). Participants from urban municipalities were 29% less likely to report SRH services disruption than participants from rural municipalities (OR-0.71, 95% CI: 0.55-0.91). Participants with disability were twice as likely to report disruption than participants without disability (OR-2.35, 95% CI: 1.45-3.82).
To reduce violence against girls and women due to the pandemic, interventions should focus on Dalit women and on preventing education discontinuation among girls and women. SRH service during the pandemic needs to be improved for girls and women with focus on girls and women from rural municipalities and girls and women with disability.
关于 COVID-19 大流行对女孩和年轻女性的影响的数据很少。本研究考察了在 COVID-19 限制和封锁期间，女孩和年轻女性中暴力行为以及性健康和生殖健康（SRH）服务中断的流行率及其相关因素。
2021 年 3 月 10 日至 4 月 24 日期间，对 18-24 岁的女孩和妇女进行了互动语音响应调查。该调查共招募了 1314 名参与者。采用描述性分析评估暴力和 SRH 服务中断的流行率。采用两样本比例检验评估大流行前后暴力行为的流行率差异。采用逻辑回归检验结局变量与社会人口学预测因子之间的关系。
本研究未发现大流行前后暴力行为的流行率存在显著差异。教育在后疫情时代对经历身体和性暴力具有保护作用。与婆罗门/切特里人相比，达利特人在后疫情时代报告身体暴力的可能性高出四倍（OR：3.80；CI：1.41-10.24）。22-24 岁年龄组的参与者比 18-21 岁年龄组的女孩和参与者更有可能经历性暴力（OR：2.25；CI：1.04-4.84）。与农村地区的参与者相比，城市自治市的参与者报告 SRH 服务中断的可能性低 29%（OR-0.71，95%CI：0.55-0.91）。有残疾的参与者报告中断的可能性是没有残疾的参与者的两倍（OR-2.35，95%CI：1.45-3.82）。
为了减少大流行期间针对女孩和妇女的暴力行为，干预措施应侧重于达利特妇女，并防止女孩和妇女辍学。大流行期间需要改善女孩和妇女的 SRH 服务，重点关注农村地区的女孩和妇女以及残疾女孩和妇女。
