The WeWorld Index 2020 has new features compared to the previous editions. The goal for which it was first conceived in 2015 still stands: to measure the inclusion of women and children in 172 countries around the world, considering inclusion as a multi-dimensional process, affecting various aspects of life (in line with the 2030 Agenda). The starting point for fostering the inclusion of women and children is to guarantee their rights. To achieve that, resorting…

As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world, civil society stepped up to help. Civil society organisations (CSOs) made a difference to people and communities experiencing the impacts of both the pandemic and the emergency measures taken by states. CSOs worked not only as frontline responders, but also as defenders of human rights during the pandemic, including the rights of vulnerable and excluded groups. This report outlines some of the many civil society responses to the…

While digital technologies have been increasingly employed in humanitarian crises for more than a decade, they are needed now more than ever due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Restrictions on travel, a switch to remote working and ‘social distancing’ have left international, national and local humanitarian staff unable to access affected communities, while logistics and humanitarian supply chains are disrupted. At the same time, needs continue to increase. There is now an urgent need for humanitarian…

The COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc on children, families and communities around the world. To move from risk to resilience and build back better and stronger, recovery efforts must address key underlying causes of the pandemic: unsustainable economic development, climate change and a collective disregard for the natural environment. This brief focuses on the links between the pandemic, the destruction of the natural environment and climate change, and calls for systematic change to create a…

From Africa to Latin America to Europe, the coronavirus pandemic has generated a surge in public demand for government transparency and accountability. To seize this window for reform, elite and grassroots civic actors concerned with open governance must overcome the cleavage that has long existed between them. Thus far, the pandemic has catalyzed some new civic collaborations, but not at the scale or depth needed to seize that window. In general, civil society groups report…

This report provides a review of literature on the societal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as past health and economic shocks, and possible solutions for mitigating impact at individual, household and societal levels. The evidence base on the societal impacts of the pandemic is still nascent. For children, it is weaker still, largely due to the paucity of age-disaggregated data and the relatively low number of paediatric studies, particu-larly in low- and middle-income…

A world where inclusive education can flourish is also a world that can nurture inclusive societies. Inclusive learning environments consider diversity an asset and, accordingly, they cater for the different needs of all learners, so that they learn, grow and thrive together. Working towards this vision is critical for reducing the vast levels of inequality and discrimination currently faced by millions of persons across the globe. This is especially so for the millions of children…

Humanitarian organizations have developed innovative and context specific interventions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as guidance has been normative in nature and most are not humanitarian specific. In April 2020, three universities developed a COVID-19 humanitarian-specific website (www.covid19humanitarian.com) to allow humanitarians from the field to upload their experiences or be interviewed by academics to share their creative responses adapted to their specific country challenges in a standardised manner. These field experiences are reviewed by…

COVID-19 is a children’s crisis. In the early months of the pandemic, children constituted a low proportion of the population infected. However, as the virus has spread, the number of children and young people who become infected and develop COVID-19 is also increasing and requires specific actions. While our understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on children through science, data and research is evolving rapidly, we have more insight as the pandemic approaches its first…

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…