Published Paper Details:

This is an empirical study which tries to explore the various challenges and impact of COVID-19 on young women in Bangalore. The study stresses on socio economic and psychological factors of young women being af ected by the COVID 19 PANDEMIC. The COVID-19 pandemic has engulfed countries across the world in a short span of time. For India, It was and continues to be the biggest health and humanitarian crisis since independence. The Government of India declared COVID-19 as a National disaster and, to contain the spread of the Disease, imposed a complete lockdown across the Country on March 25, 2020. This continues till date, in myriad forms and with variations across states and zones. The pandemic and the prolonged lockdown have adversely impacted a wide range of areas, including Health, economy, livelihood, social and professional Interactions. It led to loss of livelihoods for millions of people, and an exodus of migrants from cities back to their villages, with a devastating cost of Human lives and suf ering. Although the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, included reproductive health And family planning as essential health services in its Guidelines, the lockdown and the focus of the public Health machinery on containing the pandemic, Restricted women's mobility and access to health Services. Slowly but steadily, the adverse impact of COVID-19 On mental health is beginning to emerge globally. There was a surge in gender-based, and intimate Partner violence across countries such as China, UK, USA, and India, and a high prevalence of Psychological distress, anger, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. The implications of interrupted reproductive Healthcare and on mental health have to be critically explored among young people in India. Constituting nearly one-fifth of the country's population, Adolescents face educational uncertainties (with the Closure of schools and colleges, and a patchy access to digital learning), restrictions on their mobility, Freedom and socialization, an increase in domestic Chores and household conflict (disproportionately Borne by women), and anxieties around their Employment prospects, among others. To understand how Bangalore's young women are Coping with these challenges, this study is conducted with a rapidassessment to understand the level of Knowledge and attitude of young women aged between(15-24 years) towards COVID-19, how it has impacted Their lives and mental health, and their needs and Priorities. The responses thus generated were analyzed to advocate for measures that can best address these needs, both during the COVID-19 Outbreak and continuing after that.