11 million girls worldwide at risk of not returning to school after COVID-19, U.N. says

Rachel Muthoni, a 19-year-old from Irimba village in Tharaka-Nithi county, Kenya, has missed about seven months of school. At times, she didn't have enough money for fees or even food. 

"COVID-19 put a temporary stop to my education, and that meant that I lost one year of schooling. I got stuck in one academic year for two years. Also, seeing that the pandemic was unexpected, it put a lot of pressure on my family in terms of taking care of me by providing food and necessities required for online learning during the pandemic," Muthoni, a Women's Global Education Program Kenya scholar, told CBS News.  Muthoni is one of 11 million girls worldwide who may not return to school after the pandemic, according to the United Nations. The weight of the pandemic's economic toll has fallen disproportionately on women's shoulders, as work-from-home shone a light on the reality that women still carry a majority of child care responsibilities. Now, a generation of girls can potentially be left behind from the socioeconomic benefits of education access.