ABSTRACT
Recent studies have shown that the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted women worldwide. Amidst restricted access to public spaces, women were re-confined within the spaces of domesticity. This also rendered girl children a socially vulnerable group. Due to the pandemic, there is a great possibility of a rise in school dropouts and child marriages due to their families’ economic struggles. Also, the access gap has become wider for girls due to the predominant use of digital learning modes and issues around the digital divide. With the schools being intermittently closed, girl children find it challenging to negotiate with the structural inequalities due to the gendered division of labour within the household. There is increased pressure on girls to take on sibling care and household chores. The digital divide is also affecting girl child’s growth in terms of space. Being confined within a particular space, it is now difficult for them to distinguish between public and private spaces. Using an exploratory research design and qualitative approach, the study aims to understand the multi-faceted impacts of spatial exclusion under lockdowns on a girl child’s personal growth and learning.
