Notes to broadcasters
These questions are designed to help you conduct interviews about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected six different groups of vulnerable or marginalized people in your community: Women and girls, youth, the elderly, people with compromised immune systems, refugees and internally displaced persons, and people with special needs or disabilities. For each of these groups, we provide from four to eight questions.
You will need to address these questions to people who have experience working with these vulnerable groups directly so that they can speak about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected them. You might find such people working for local women’s groups, youth associations, local offices of international organizations such as Marie Stopes International, Plan International, and Girl Effect, or in local government ministries dealing directly with these six groups. You will need more than one interviewee to address the experiences of each of these groups.
Bear in mind that some or all of the questions you ask one group can apply to another group. So, while preparing for your interviews, be sure to review all the questions in this document and consider how questions geared towards women and girls might also apply, for example, to youth or the elderly.
If you want to cover more details about the topics addressed in this resource, arrange a series of interviews with the same guest, or with others who can speak on these issues. As part of this series, you may also want to speak to women, youth, the elderly, people with disabilities, and people with compromised immune systems so that they can share their own experiences relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Remember that good interviews are based on active listening and good follow-up questions. Use these questions as a guide to your discussion but be flexible enough to follow the discussion where it leads.
Important myths and misinformation could come up during these discussions. Be sure to address and dispel these with your interviewees, as well as other myths that are prominent in your community.
Finally, the concepts that come up during your discussions might be technical or scientific. Always ask your interviewees to explain these concepts in clear and simple terms that any listener can understand. If a guest uses a complicated or technical term, ask them to explain it—even if you understand, your listeners may not.
Script
Suggested questions about women and girls
1. Has the COVID-19 pandemic affected women’s economic status?
a. If yes, how?
i. Are price increases on food and other household items affecting women and their families’ food security? If so, how?
ii. For women who had to close their business during the pandemic, what challenges are they facing as they try to restart their business, or open new ones?
iii. Are women facing challenges getting funds to help recover their businesses? If yes, what are these challenges?
iv. For women whose workplaces closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, what has been the impact on them and their families?
v. What are women doing to overcome these economic challenges?
2. How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected women’s ability to gather in groups, for example, savings and loans groups, marketing groups, and other kinds of community groups?
a. How is this impacting women’s lives and the lives of people in their communities?
3. How are women being affected by health services shifting from general and women-specific services to services related to COVID-19?
a. Are pregnant women facing challenges accessing prenatal care during the COVID-19 pandemic? If so, please describe.
i. What is causing these challenges?
ii. How are women coping with these challenges?
iii. Are there any services or supports available to help women?
b. What challenges are women facing when seeking medical assistance to give birth or to have abortions during the COVID-19 pandemic?
i. What is causing these challenges?
ii. How are women coping with these challenges?
iii. Are there any services or supports available to help women?
c. Do women have the resources they need to stay safe from COVID-19?
d. Is the pandemic making it more difficult for women to access water for handwashing in your area?
i. If so, what are the impacts?
e. Are women easily able to get the things they need to keep them safe from COVID-19, like face masks, shields, and hand sanitizers?
i. If not, what difficulties are women facing in trying to access these things?
f. Have other health services for women been negatively affected? If so, describe.
4. Has gender-based violence increase during the COVID-19 pandemic?
a. If yes, what are some of the causes for this increase in violence?
b. Are women reporting gender-based violence when it occurs during the pandemic?
c. Are law enforcement bodies readily available to address reports of gender-based violence?
i. Are they addressing these reports effectively?
ii. Do women feel safe reporting incidents of gender-based violence to law enforcement?
1. If no, why not?
iii. Have there been increased reports of rape or other types of sexualized and gender-based violence?
iv. Do survivors of gender-based violence get the assistance they needed?
v. What services and support systems are available for women survivors of gender-based violence?
5. Has women’s domestic workload increased during the COVID-19 pandemic?
a. How is this affecting women emotionally, mentally, and physically?
b. What are the other consequences of this increased workload on women and their families?
c. What can husbands, children, and other family members do to support women with their workload during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond?
6. Are women well-informed about the pandemic and how to prevent themselves from getting sick and spreading COVID-19?
a. If not, what is the major reason for the lack of information among women?
b. What can be done to reach women more effectively with information about COVID-19 prevention, including COVID-19 vaccines?
c. Do women now have sufficient knowledge of and access to COVID-19 vaccines?
7. How did the closure of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic affect women and girls?
a. Was it more difficult for girls than boys to catch up in school? If yes, please describe the situation.
b. What impact have school closures had on young women and girls’ grades and other aspects of their schooling?
c. What have been the other consequences of girls missing out on their education during the COVID-19 pandemic?
8. How is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting women and girls emotionally, mentally, and physically?
a. As people start to get vaccinated against COVID-19, is the situation improving for women and girls?
b. What can people in the community do to support women during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond?
Suggested questions about youth
1. How is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting youth in terms of their education and career?
a. What sort of challenges are youth facing in their studies due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
i. If their education has been interrupted, have youth been able to catch up with their studies? If not, please describe the situation.
b. What kinds of social challenges are youth facing now due to the COVID-19 pandemic? For example, are youth dealing with social isolation, or psychological issues such as depression, or are their social skills under-developed?
i. What are the impacts of these social challenges on youth?
c. What support systems are available to help youth during the COVID-19 pandemic?
i. Do youth have access to counselling services?
1. If not, what are the consequences?
d. How supportive are family members and the community of youth who have been dealing with the impacts of the pandemic? Please describe.
2. How are youth dealing with social and economic challenges like isolation and the lack of employment opportunities due to the pandemic?
a. How are youth affected by health services shifting from general services to services related to COVID-19?
i. Have sexual and reproductive healthcare services been interrupted?
1. If so, how is this impacting youth?
3. Are youth well-informed about the pandemic and how to prevent themselves from getting sick and spreading COVID-19?
a. If not, what is the major reason for the lack of information among youth?
b. What can be done to reach youth more effectively with information about COVID-19 prevention, including COVID-19 vaccines?
4. How is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting youth emotionally, mentally, and physically?
a. What can people in the community do to help support youth during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond?
Suggested questions about elderly people
1. How is COVID 19 affecting the daily lives of elderly people?
a. What activities are or have been restricted for elderly people because of the COVID-19 pandemic?
i. Can elderly people readily access everyday essentials like food, water, and medication?
1. If not, what are the consequences?
2. Is COVID-19 more dangerous for elderly people?
a. Are elderly people becoming sick with COVID-19 at higher rates than other people?
b. Are there higher rates of hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19 for elderly people?
i. If so, why? What makes elderly people more vulnerable to COVID-19?
3. Are elderly people able to access important information on the prevention and spread of COVID-19?
a. Does the lack of online and digital skills prevent elderly people from accessing information on COVID-19? If yes, what alternative way of accessing information do elderly people use?
b. What can be done to reach elderly people more effectively with information about COVID-19 prevention, including COVID-19 vaccines?
c. Do elderly people currently have sufficient knowledge of and access to COVID-19 vaccines?
4. How are elderly people being affected by health services shifting from general services to services related to COVID-19?
5. How does the COVID-19 pandemic impact the social lives of elderly people?
a. How are elderly people coping with the impact of physical distancing in their social lives?
b. What are the consequences of increased social isolation for elderly people?
6. How is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting elderly people emotionally, mentally, and physically?
a. What can people in the community do to help support elderly people during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond?
Suggested questions about people with compromised immune systems
1. What does it mean for a person’s immune system to be compromised?
a. What illnesses or conditions can results in a person’s immune system being compromised?
2. Is COVID-19 more dangerous for people with compromised immune systems?
a. Are people with compromised immune systems becoming sick with COVID-19 at higher rates than other people?
b. Are there higher rates of hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19 for people with compromised immune systems?
1. If so, why? What makes people with compromised immune systems more vulnerable to COVID-19?
3. How are people with compromised immune systems, including people who are HIV positive, being affected by health services shifting from general services to services related to COVID-19?
a. Have essential surgeries or treatments been cancelled or delayed?
b. Are people with compromised immune systems able to access the medications they need?
c. What impact do these changes in the healthcare system have on the health of people with compromised immune systems?
d. Can people with compromised immune systems easily access COVID vaccines, including booster shots?
4. What special measures are people with compromised immune systems taking to keep themselves safe from COVID-19?
5. How is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting people with compromised immune systems emotionally, mentally, and physically?
a. What can people in the community do to help support people with compromised immune systems during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond?
Suggested questions about refugees and internally displaced persons
1. Are internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees more vulnerable to becoming ill with COVID-19?
a. If so, why and how?
i. Are refugees and IDPs able to protect themselves from COVID-19? If not, please describe any difficulties they face when trying to access face masks, hand sanitizer, and vaccines.
2. Are refugees and IDPs well-informed about the pandemic and how to prevent themselves from getting sick and spreading COVID-19?
a. If not, what is the major reason for this lack of information?
b. What can be done to reach refugees and IDPs more effectively with information about COVID-19 prevention, including COVID-19 vaccines?
c. Do refugees and IDPs now have sufficient knowledge of and access to COVID-19 vaccines?
3. How is the pandemic affecting refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) financially?
a. Have refugees been able to continue their small businesses during the pandemic?
i. If not, how is that affecting their livelihoods?
ii. How are refugees coping with these impacts?
4. Did food insecurity for refugees and IDPs worsen during the COVID-19 pandemic?
a. If yes, are there services available to help support food security for refugees and IDPs? How?
b. How else are refugees and IDPs coping with food insecurity?
5. How is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting refugees and IDPs emotionally, mentally, and physically?
a. What can people in the community do to help support refugees and IDPs during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond?
Suggested questions about people with special needs or disabilities
1. What does it mean for someone to have special needs or disabilities?
2. How is COVID-19 affecting the daily lives of people with special needs or disabilities?
a. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, what activities are or have been restricted for people with special needs or disabilities?
i. Are people with special needs or disabilities able to access everyday essentials like food, water, and medication?
1. If not, what have been the consequences?
3. Are people with special needs or disabilities well-informed about the pandemic and how to prevent themselves from getting sick and spreading COVID-19?
a. If not, what is the major reason for the lack of information?
b. What can be done to reach people with special needs or disabilities more effectively with information about COVID-19 prevention, including COVID-19 vaccines?
c. Do people with special needs or disabilities now have sufficient knowledge of and access to COVID-19 vaccines?
4. What special measures have people with special needs or disabilities taken to keep themselves safe from COVID-19?
5. How is the COVID-19 pandemic interrupting services for people with special needs or disabilities?
a. Are people with special needs or disabilities able to access the support and care they need?
i. If not, what are the impacts of this interruption in support and care?
6. How is the COVID-19 pandemic impacting the social lives of people with special needs or disabilities?
a. How are people with special needs or disabilities coping with the impact of physical distancing in their social lives?
b. What are the consequences of increased social isolation for people with special needs or disabilities?
7. Is COVID-19 more dangerous for people with special needs and disabilities? Why or why not?
8. How is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting people with special needs, disabilities, and mental illnesses mentally, emotionally, and physically?
a. What can people in the community do to help support people with special needs or disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond?
Acknowledgements
Contributed by: Neo Brown, freelance writer and communications expert, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia