COVID-19 and school closures are putting women’s economic future at risk

Mercer in AMEA launches P.A.G.E 150, a regional initiative to empower organisations that support girls’ education.

Singapore, 8 March, 2021 – The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing education disruption have left millions of girls at risk of school dropout across Asia Pacific. According to UNICEF, 20% of girls in East Asia and the Pacific, close to 40 million of them in total, have not been able to access distance learning during COVID-19 and 69% of girls reported studying and learning less than usual. ¹ In South and West Asia, 2.8 million women and girls, across pre-primary and tertiary levels may not be able to return to school. While the extent of the impact of COVID-19 on girls’ education ² remains unclear, what is certain is that it will have an adverse impact on their economic future.

The increased dropouts not only threatens decades of progress made towards gender equality, but also puts girls at risk of adolescent pregnancy, early and forced marriage, and violence. Studies by the World Bank show that on average, just one year of additional schooling increases wages for women by 12%, compared to 10% for men, particularly at the secondary and tertiary levels. While the longstanding gap of girls in school enrollment has narrowed in the past decades, school closures as a result of the pandemic and the lack of access to distance learning may slow or reverse these gains, in turn hurting their economic prospects in the future.

Renee McGowan, Mercer’s President, AMEA (Asia, Middle East & Africa) said, “Research has shown that when a girl’s education is cut short, the impact is felt for generations. Through education, they earn higher incomes and build better futures for themselves and their families. Girls’ education strengthens economies and societies, giving everyone – including boys and men – the opportunity to fulfil their potential. The gender gaps in education, as a result of COVID-19, will translate to fewer women than men in the future workforce, worsening a disparity that has existed for decades both globally and regionally. This is serious cause for concern and one we hope to play a part in addressing.”

¹ UNICEF Education COVID-19 Response Issue Brief: COVID-19 and Girls’ Education in East Asia and Pacific, October 2020

² COVID-19 and Girls' Education: What We Know So Far and What We Expect, Centre for Global Development, October 2020

Powering Asian Girls’ Education: P.A.G.E 150
In conjunction with Marsh McLennan’s (MMC) 150^th anniversary this year, Mercer in AMEA will launch P.A.G.E 150 on International Women’s Day (8 March) this year. P.A.G.E stands for Powering Asian Girls’ Education, while 150 is a reference to MMC’s anniversary year.

Mercer’s markets across the region will each pledge at least 150 skills-based volunteering hours over the next 12 months to a social enterprise dedicated to improving educational access and opportunities to girls from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds in their markets.

In Singapore, Mercer will partner Children’s Wishing Well, a non-profit that supports the educational and daily living needs of children and youth from low-income families and disadvantaged backgrounds. Currently, the non-profit serves the needs of more than 1,000 children and youth, aged 7 to 12, each year across all their programmes and centers.

Working with Children’s Wishing Well, Mercer in Singapore will “adopt” a group of girls for the year, conducting activities to develop their personal and social competencies that will help them cope with the challenges in life.

Peta Latimer, Mercer’s CEO for Singapore said, “Though Singapore has come a long way from the days females were a minority in a classroom, home-based learning during the pandemic shone a light on the profound disparities in children's access to support and opportunities. Through this partnership, we hope to help bridge some of these gaps by empowering girls with life skills and practical knowledge through a series of curated workshops focusing on digital literacy, arts, communications and presentation skills, to build a strong foundation for their future.”

Joanna Tan, CEO, Children’s Wishing Well said, “Even in a developed country like Singapore, the situation and needs of the disadvantaged and vulnerable population within our midst are often over-looked. Very often, they just need an opportunity to get themselves out of the poverty trap and fulfil their fullest potential in life. Children's Wishing Well is honoured to be selected as one of the beneficiaries of the wonderful Mercer initiative (P.A.G.E. 150), with whom we share a similar mission. We hope that this project will allow the girls to Reach for the Stars.”

Leveraging the expertise and capabilities of Mercer’s colleagues across Asia, Mercer will support these social enterprises in addressing their challenges and reimagining their organisations for the future, whether through human resource projects such as reskilling and job redesign; investment advisory; strengthening their health and benefits program; or functional support such as marketing or accounting.

Ms McGowan added, “Many social enterprises have also been hard hit by the pandemic with fewer volunteers and donations. This could hurt their operations, staffing and growth prospects. By supporting them the best way we know how, we can help these organisations build back better and stronger so they can expand and support even more girls through education.

The pandemic has drawn urgent attention to the risks of growing gender gaps. Through our initiative, we hope to reverse some of these losses and help make a difference to our workforce of the future. ”

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