This special edition COVID-19 Barometer is a joint project between Shujaaz Inc and UNICEF (Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office and Kenya Country Office). It is the outcome of a collaboration launched in September 2020, rooted in our shared work to break down barriers, so that young people in East and Southern Africa can build a better future for themselves and their communities. One of the objectives of our collaboration is to produce a range of youth-led, data-driven research products, providing insight into the most effective ways to support young people in East Africa. This special edition Barometer is designed to provide a snapshot into the lives of Kenyan girls aged 15-19 (also referred to as adolescent girls) in 2021. This edition of our COVID-19 Barometer includes new insights from Shujaaz Inc’s annual national youth survey, which draws on face-toface interviews with 2,015 young people conducted between December 2020 and January 2021. Drawing on additional qualitative research, the Barometer aims to provide an update on the challenges, lifestyles, priorities and aspirations of adolescent girls, during a turbulent pandemic. This edition focuses on key topics including education, sexual and reproductive health, financial security, mental wellbeing and resilience. We hope it provides a valuable update for organisations working with adolescent girls across Kenya, and inspiration for similar research in East and Southern African countries.
