Youth empowerment and mitigating violence during the COVID-19 pandemic
Media, institutional reports, and research reviews from all around the world are giving voice to what has been called the silent or shadow pandemic: the increase in violence against women during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been attributed to, among other things, the intersection of confinement during lockdowns, increased stress at home, and a decline in access to services. Here we look at new evidence on the impact of a program in Bolivia, which was not designed to directly address gender-based violence. Rather, it was intended to improve income opportunities for young persons by developing their soft and hard skills.