#CovidUnder19
How do children experience the pandemic, from one end of the world to the other? To find out, Terre des hommes, in collaboration with the UN and around 30 organisations, as well as children and young people, created the #CovidUnder19 initiative and launched an international survey. The results of the survey reveal the opinions of children and young people, so that their voices can be taken into account by decision-makers.
A total of 26,258 children and young people aged 8 to 17 from 137 countries participated in the #CovidUnder19 survey. The results published in December 2020 shed light on their opinions: “Children are not as clueless as you think they are. They have a voice, and no voice should be shut out. Being a child doesn't mean our voices are less credible,” said a 10-year-old boy from the Philippines.
Access to education
More than 60% of children and young people reported that they had access to better education before Covid-19. “I think that during quarantine, the schedule of every child changed for worse, starting with the education, communicating with friends, less time outside, alimentation, spiritual state, etc. First of all, I want to mention the fact that on-line classes did not have the effect and the degree of information and necessary knowledge due to the fact that a lot of children did not have the possibility (financial) to use the internet and the needed device, such as a phone or a laptop. Secondly, the on-line classes done on the mobile phone had a negative impact on our eyesight,” said a 14-year-old girl from Moldova.
“I’m waiting when school will reopen so that I don’t need to work,” said a 13-year-old girl from India.
How do they feel?
Of the children and young people who responded to the survey, 36% feel safer now.
“The best thing about Lockdown is that we are actually being able to understand our family members. My parents used to be busy all the time before this lockdown so now I am getting sufficient time to understand them,” said a 16-year-old girl from Pakistan.
Children told us their three most common feelings during coronavirus were:
Governments, listen to us!
Article 12 of the UNCRC ensures children's right to express their views freely, and to have their views be accounted for and listened to by authorities. However, in the #CovidUnder19 poll, 38% of the children felt that they were not heard when decisions were being made about the Covid-19 crisis. Take young people’s opinion into consideration, because they are also a part of the community and they should have the right to express themselves,” said a 17-year-old boy from Lebanon.
“They [authorities] should pay more attention to children. Some children can't afford to buy face masks which is bad. Face masks on the market are for adults and few being tailored are for children,” says a 15-year-old girl from Zambia.
“I would tell politicians when they are making laws to do that with the heart of mothers and not of politicians,” concludes a 12-year-old girl from Bolivia.
About #CovidUnder19
The logo of the #CovidUnder19 initiative was created and chosen by children and young people.
In April 2020, Terre des hommes launched the #CovidUnder19 initiative by mobilising a group of young people, child rights activists, civil society organisations and UN stakeholders. The initiative set out to understand children’s views and experiences about life under Coronavirus, and amplify their voices to inform policymakers, professionals working with children, and governments.
In the Spring of 2020, the initiative launched the “Life Under Coronavirus” global survey to understand children’s experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic and their views on how they wish to get involved. The survey was designed with children, for children aged between 8 to 17 years available in 27 different languages alongside an easy to read version. A shorter poll focusing on issues of protection, safety and peer-to-peer support was also disseminated via UNICEF’s U-Report leading to additional 5000 responses from children.
The survey was developed in collaboration with international partners including the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence Against Children among others and involved a diverse group of children from 28 countries at all stages including drawing conclusions and developing key messages.
The #CovidUnder19 Life Under Coronavirus survey was designed in the spirit of the United Nations Convention on Rights of Child. The Centre for Children's Rights at Queen's University, Belfast, employing their unique children's rights-based methodology, designed the survey and analysed and reported the results, working at every stage with children and young people and other partners to make sure that the survey and findings were produced with children for children.
The global results of the survey are available here.
National data is also available for Pakistan (full and fact sheet), South Korea, and is being prepared for more countries.
Follow #CovidUnder19 on social media:
#CovidUnder19 is spreading the word!
Articles with academics, partners organisationa and & young people
Life Under Coronavirus: Children’s Views on their Experiences of their Human Rights
Children’s rights in a digital world: Can COVID-19 move governments from evidence to action?
Partnerships with Children as Core to Partnerships for the Goal (p.10)
Children as agents of positive change (UNSRSGVAC)
Children’s Right to be Heard: We’re Talking; Are You Listening? (Joining Forces)
Virtual events in 2020 and 2021
Children’s Voice: Maintaining and Adapting for Safe Child Participation during COVID-19 (GPC)
What should aid actors focus on to make data collection processes & tools more child-friendly? (GEONG)
#CovidUnder19: Co-creating with Children to Inform CP Policy and Practice (The Alliance)
Digital by Default: The Covid-19 Generation (LSE)
Global Mobilisation for Generation Disrupted (World Organisation of Scouts Movement et al)
Data4Youth (UNDP / Restless Development)
Experiences, Interventions and Reflections for Protecting Children during a Pandemic (GPEVAC Solutions Summit Affiliate Event)
UN high-level event on the impact of violence on children's mental health (UNSRSGVAC)
We speak up! A youth-led event during the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (#CovidUnder19)
Building solidarity with young social justice activists (EADI Conference)
Podcasts, videos, and more
Inspiring ways to end violence (GPEVAC)
YouthTalks (State of Youth)
Covid 4P Log - Child Friendly Invitation to Participate (Institute for Inspiring Children's Futures)
Meet some of us
Meet some of us
Ali is a Pakistan based 17 years old passionate Human Rights Activist with focus on promoting the plight of Child Protection and Child Justice. Alongside with that, he also is a young Cricket analyst at Local Television in Pakistan. Ali is a member of Child Rights Movement Network (CRM)
Member Human Rights Children and Youth Task Force (HRCYTF). He is a part of the Child Advisory Group for Shaping World Congress 2021 on Justice with Children. He aims to create impact around the globe with his untiring efforts and impactful advocacy. He has fervent experience of Column and feature writing on different topics, mainly focusing on Child Protection and Justice for Children.
Meet some of us
Amrit is a Child Rights Activist from Nepal. He is the chairman and convenor at Nepal Youth Network for Sustainable Development District Committee and President of Hamro Aawaz Baal Sanjal (Child Club Network). He is also known for his work as the facilitator for Child Friendly Local Governance (CFLG). Apart from this, Amrit is the founder of campaign Lakshyadeep, which focuses on enhancing co-curricular activities among children and youths. He is working as an advisor of the Municipal Child Club Network of Itahari sub-metropolitan. Amrit believes in diversified unity and dreams to build a safe and child-friendly Nepal.
Meet some of us
Diana es una adolescente boliviana de 17 años, es activista ambiental, animalista, feminista, activista de los Derechos Humanos, activista de los derechos de la niñez y los Niños, Niñas, Adolescentes Trabajadores, activista de los derechos de la naturaleza; es voluntaria de varios grupos como CovidUnder19, lideresa de la brigada ambiental tukuyninchejpaj (Idioma Originario de Diana, Quechua, en español, para todxs) Representante de fundación Ayni, en el consejo consultivo de Terre Des Hommes Suisse en Bolivia, becaria de Acción Ambiental Metropolitana y mucho mas.
Diana is a 17 year old Bolivian teenager, environmental activist, animal activist, feminist, human rights activist, activist for the rights of children and working children, activist for the rights of nature. She is a volunteer in various groups such as #CovidUnder19, leader of the environmental brigade tukuyninchejpaj (for everyone in Quechua, Diana's native language), representative of Fundación Ayni, in the advisory council of Terre Des Hommes Suisse in Bolivia, scholarship holder of Acción Ambiental Metropolitana and much more.
Meet some of us
Fariha is a student in her last year of A-levels. Having witnessed the large disparity that affects different facets of society, she has been driven to actively advocate for and engage with the youth of Pakistan who are widely unrepresented and are not provided the necessary means to voice their opinions. In pursuits to amend this, Fariha has been an active member of The Human Rights Children and Youth Task Force thereby advocating for Child justice and protection. She is also a founder of Project Khwaab - an initiative that works towards the betterment of marginalized communities in Pakistan, and helps the dreams of minority children come true. She plans to break the boundaries of traditional medicine and introduce the concept of holistic medicine to uplift communities while thereby reducing health inequities and inequalities.
Meet some of us
Firman, 18 years old. He is a child rights activist, a #CovidUnder19 peer-mentor, a Core Team Youth Partner with Unicef Indonesia, and the West Indonesia Focal Point - Youth Partner of Unicef Indonesia, He is also a youth activist that fights against commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) with RAEKSA.
Now he is in college majoring in Accounting at the Maritime Raja Ali Haji University in Tanjung Pinang, Riau Islands, Indonesia. Firman is proficient in using several languages such as Indonesian, English, Malay, and several regional languages. Firman has carried out many activities both at the national and international levels related to children protection and climate action. Firman's motto is to be able to give love and happiness to those around him.
Meet some of us
Januka, 18 years old, is a Child Rights Activist from Nepal. She is a facilitator for Child Friendly Local Governance (CFLG) and is currently working as a Provincial Vice-President of Nepal Youth Network for SDGs. She is a volunteer of Covid Crisis Child Protection Support Group (National CFLG Forum, Nepal). Besides this, Januka is a former President of the Municipal Child Club Network of Itahari sub-metropolitan. She is one of the founders of campaign Lakshyadeep, which focuses on enhancing co-curricular activities among children and youths. Januka loves new experiences as she believes practical knowledge is more powerful than academic qualifications.
Meet some of us
Jeffrey, 18 years old, is a child rights advocate from the Philippines. He is the current president of a children-and-youth-led organization called Pinagsamang Lakas ng Kabataan that aims to promote and strengthen the four basic rights of a child. Aside from that, Jeffrey is also a former project team member of 'Children Talk To Children About the UN CRC', a coalition that upholds the meaningful participation of children in CRC monitoring and campaign. Jeffrey believes that we can achieve a child-friendly world if there is unity because "in unity there is strength".
Meet some of us
Prathit is an 18 year old advocate for rights of children from India. He has been involved with #CovidUnder19 and has been advocating for intergenerational partnership between children and adults and community awareness for rights of children. He is also a researcher, a public policy enthusiast and a student of political science at University of Delhi.
Meet some of us
Reece is an advocate for children’s rights from Cape Town, South Africa. He is the founder of Earth Kids Org, an organisation that provides early childhood development equipment and recycling education to under-resourced preschools in his city, and was the runner-up to the Turner Social Change at the World Summit for Nobel Peace Laureates 2019. He is a Circle of Youth member and 2021 Global Teen Leader.
Meet some of us
Vio is an 18 years old Child Rights Activist based in Indonesia. She is the national youth coordinator of Voice For Change Indonesia (A Down to Zero Initiative), the chairman of Anti CSEC Adolescence (RAEKSA), and an intern at Youth Voice For Change focusing on making content on CSEC. Her work involves advocacy at the regional, national, and international level mainly raising the issue of Violence Against Children. She is looking forward to leverage her knowledge and experience into the role of an activist. She lives through the phrase ‘Semper ad meliora’ and plants it in mind that there’s always room for improvement and striving to be better, either in herselfs or externally.
Ali is a Pakistan based 17 years old passionate Human Rights Activist with focus on promoting the plight of Child Protection and Child Justice. Alongside with that, he also is a young Cricket analyst at Local Television in Pakistan. Ali is a member of Child Rights Movement Network (CRM)
Member Human Rights Children and Youth Task Force (HRCYTF). He is a part of the Child Advisory Group for Shaping World Congress 2021 on Justice with Children. He aims to create impact around the globe with his untiring efforts and impactful advocacy. He has fervent experience of Column and feature writing on different topics, mainly focusing on Child Protection and Justice for Children.
Amrit is a Child Rights Activist from Nepal. He is the chairman and convenor at Nepal Youth Network for Sustainable Development District Committee and President of Hamro Aawaz Baal Sanjal (Child Club Network). He is also known for his work as the facilitator for Child Friendly Local Governance (CFLG). Apart from this, Amrit is the founder of campaign Lakshyadeep, which focuses on enhancing co-curricular activities among children and youths. He is working as an advisor of the Municipal Child Club Network of Itahari sub-metropolitan. Amrit believes in diversified unity and dreams to build a safe and child-friendly Nepal.
Diana es una adolescente boliviana de 17 años, es activista ambiental, animalista, feminista, activista de los Derechos Humanos, activista de los derechos de la niñez y los Niños, Niñas, Adolescentes Trabajadores, activista de los derechos de la naturaleza; es voluntaria de varios grupos como CovidUnder19, lideresa de la brigada ambiental tukuyninchejpaj (Idioma Originario de Diana, Quechua, en español, para todxs) Representante de fundación Ayni, en el consejo consultivo de Terre Des Hommes Suisse en Bolivia, becaria de Acción Ambiental Metropolitana y mucho mas.
Diana is a 17 year old Bolivian teenager, environmental activist, animal activist, feminist, human rights activist, activist for the rights of children and working children, activist for the rights of nature. She is a volunteer in various groups such as #CovidUnder19, leader of the environmental brigade tukuyninchejpaj (for everyone in Quechua, Diana's native language), representative of Fundación Ayni, in the advisory council of Terre Des Hommes Suisse in Bolivia, scholarship holder of Acción Ambiental Metropolitana and much more.
Fariha is a student in her last year of A-levels. Having witnessed the large disparity that affects different facets of society, she has been driven to actively advocate for and engage with the youth of Pakistan who are widely unrepresented and are not provided the necessary means to voice their opinions. In pursuits to amend this, Fariha has been an active member of The Human Rights Children and Youth Task Force thereby advocating for Child justice and protection. She is also a founder of Project Khwaab - an initiative that works towards the betterment of marginalized communities in Pakistan, and helps the dreams of minority children come true. She plans to break the boundaries of traditional medicine and introduce the concept of holistic medicine to uplift communities while thereby reducing health inequities and inequalities.
Firman, 18 years old. He is a child rights activist, a #CovidUnder19 peer-mentor, a Core Team Youth Partner with Unicef Indonesia, and the West Indonesia Focal Point - Youth Partner of Unicef Indonesia, He is also a youth activist that fights against commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) with RAEKSA.
Now he is in college majoring in Accounting at the Maritime Raja Ali Haji University in Tanjung Pinang, Riau Islands, Indonesia. Firman is proficient in using several languages such as Indonesian, English, Malay, and several regional languages. Firman has carried out many activities both at the national and international levels related to children protection and climate action. Firman's motto is to be able to give love and happiness to those around him.
Januka, 18 years old, is a Child Rights Activist from Nepal. She is a facilitator for Child Friendly Local Governance (CFLG) and is currently working as a Provincial Vice-President of Nepal Youth Network for SDGs. She is a volunteer of Covid Crisis Child Protection Support Group (National CFLG Forum, Nepal). Besides this, Januka is a former President of the Municipal Child Club Network of Itahari sub-metropolitan. She is one of the founders of campaign Lakshyadeep, which focuses on enhancing co-curricular activities among children and youths. Januka loves new experiences as she believes practical knowledge is more powerful than academic qualifications.
Jeffrey, 18 years old, is a child rights advocate from the Philippines. He is the current president of a children-and-youth-led organization called Pinagsamang Lakas ng Kabataan that aims to promote and strengthen the four basic rights of a child. Aside from that, Jeffrey is also a former project team member of 'Children Talk To Children About the UN CRC', a coalition that upholds the meaningful participation of children in CRC monitoring and campaign. Jeffrey believes that we can achieve a child-friendly world if there is unity because "in unity there is strength".
Prathit is an 18 year old advocate for rights of children from India. He has been involved with #CovidUnder19 and has been advocating for intergenerational partnership between children and adults and community awareness for rights of children. He is also a researcher, a public policy enthusiast and a student of political science at University of Delhi.
Reece is an advocate for children’s rights from Cape Town, South Africa. He is the founder of Earth Kids Org, an organisation that provides early childhood development equipment and recycling education to under-resourced preschools in his city, and was the runner-up to the Turner Social Change at the World Summit for Nobel Peace Laureates 2019. He is a Circle of Youth member and 2021 Global Teen Leader.
Vio is an 18 years old Child Rights Activist based in Indonesia. She is the national youth coordinator of Voice For Change Indonesia (A Down to Zero Initiative), the chairman of Anti CSEC Adolescence (RAEKSA), and an intern at Youth Voice For Change focusing on making content on CSEC. Her work involves advocacy at the regional, national, and international level mainly raising the issue of Violence Against Children. She is looking forward to leverage her knowledge and experience into the role of an activist. She lives through the phrase ‘Semper ad meliora’ and plants it in mind that there’s always room for improvement and striving to be better, either in herselfs or externally.
Najat Maalla M’jid, United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children
#CovidUnder19 is a broad-based coalition of organisations, academics, youth-led organisations and children.
Co-leads of the initiative
#CovidUnder19 is a broad-based coalition of organisations, academics, youth-led organisations and children.
Terre des hommes is the leading Swiss child relief agency, improving the lives of millions of the world's most vulnerable children: www.tdh.ch/en
#CovidUnder19 is a broad-based coalition of organisations, academics, youth-led organisations and children.
#CovidUnder19 is a broad-based coalition of organisations, academics, youth-led organisations and children.
Terre des hommes is the leading Swiss child relief agency, improving the lives of millions of the world's most vulnerable children: www.tdh.ch/en
Partners
ChildFund Alliance is a global network of 11 child-focused development organizations working to create opportunities for children and youth, their families and communities: https://childfundalliance.org/
Inspiring Children's Futures is a joint initiative at the University of Strathclyde.
The Terre des Hommes International Federation (TDHIF) is a network of ten national organisations with headquarters in Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland (comprising two organisations: the Terre des hommes Lausanne Foundation and Terre des Hommes Switzerland). TDHIF is working for the rights of children and to promote equitable development without racial, religious, political, cultural or gender-based discrimination.
> www.terredeshommes.org
ChildFund Alliance is a global network of 11 child-focused development organizations working to create opportunities for children and youth, their families and communities: https://childfundalliance.org/
Inspiring Children's Futures is a joint initiative at the University of Strathclyde.
The Terre des Hommes International Federation (TDHIF) is a network of ten national organisations with headquarters in Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland (comprising two organisations: the Terre des hommes Lausanne Foundation and Terre des Hommes Switzerland). TDHIF is working for the rights of children and to promote equitable development without racial, religious, political, cultural or gender-based discrimination.
> www.terredeshommes.org
