This global report is a consolidation of six regional reports based on consultations conducted between April and August 2020 that used a qualitative approach. Listening to children is at the heart of World Vision’s child-centred approach and our commitment to amplifying the voices of children and young people on the world stage. The consultation included individual interviews and focus group discussions with 763 children and young people (403 girls, 334 boys and 26 gender not specified) between the ages of 7 to 19 years old. The research was conducted in 50 countries in regions ranging from Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa. The interviews and focus group discussions took place in-person with physical distancing, over the phone, and through online platforms. This consultation followed the minimum standards for consulting with children and young people developed by the Inter-agency Working Group on Children’s Participation.
The report is organised around the three themes emerging from the data: (1) the impacts of COVID-19 on children and young people; (2) their resilient responses to these impacts personally, in their families and communities; and (3) the support that children and young people need to be safe, healthy and help to fight the further spread of the virus.