This report shines a light on the impact of COVID-19 on adolescent girls in South East Asia and the Pacific and their experiences of accessing secondary education over the last twelve months. The report is a collaboration between Plan International’s offices in Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam, with support from colleagues and partners across the Asia Pacific region.

This report is intended to be a rallying cry to all donors and governments to act now, not only to stop the unravelling of decades of progress in education, but to create an equal world; one where all children can live happy and healthy lives and where girls can take their rightful place as equals. A world where girls are supported by their families, their communities and their governments to fulfil their right to 12 years of education.

Key findings:

• With children at home, job losses and other pressures, home environments were not always safe or supportive learning environments for adolescent girls.
• The pandemic has had significant impacts on the well-being of adolescent girls, which has made it difficult for girls to continue with their education.
• Remote learning has posed serious disruptions to adolescent girls’ ability to access and complete secondary education.
• With learning shifting from schools to adolescent girls’ homes and online over the last 12 months, girls expressed concerns regarding online and offline violence.
• The research found that the loss of income as a result of the pandemic and the number of households that were predicted to drop below the poverty line in the Pacific, made the financial impact of COVID-19 one of the most significant risks to a girl’s education.