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Power, Practice, And Potential: Social Protection And Adolescent Girls, Girl Center, Cash Transfer And Intimate Partner Violence (Ipv) Research Collaborative, Unicef

Adolescents and Young People

On March 12, 2024, the Population Council’s GIRL Center in collaboration with UNICEF and the Cash Transfer and IPV Research Collaborative, cohosted an event on the sidelines of the 68th Session of the Commission for the Status of Women (CSW68). The event brought together practitioners, researchers, adolescent girls, and representatives of governments and bilateral and multilateral organizations. Evidence on the impact of social protection and cash plus programs was highlighted. A panel of experts shared perspectives on evidence and critical actions needed to empower adolescent girls through cash plus social protection programs. This short report provides a summary of …

Adolescent Girls Initiative–Kenya: Testing For Scale—Recommendations Report, Karen Austrian, Eva Ireri Muluve, Ruth Nanjekho, John A. Maluccio, Erica Soler-Hampejsek

Adolescents and Young People

The Adolescent Girls Initiative-Kenya, a randomized trial implemented between 2015 and 2021, was designed to test the short- and longer-term effects of two-year multisectoral and multilevel “cash plus” programs for adolescent girls aged 11–14 years. It was implemented in two marginalized areas of Kenya: Kibera, an urban informal settlement in Nairobi, and Wajir, a pastoralist rural county. Results showed that a multisectoral approach was an effective way to create positive change across a range of well-being factors for young adolescent girls, including education, health, and economic outcomes. The program had long-term sustainable effects. Throughout the testing for scale phase, PC-Kenya …

Power, Practice And Potential: Social Protection And Adolescent Girls—Slide Deck, Girl Center, Cash Transfer And Intimate Partner Violence (Ipv) Research Collaborative, Unicef

Adolescents and Young People

Slide deck for event on the sidelines of CSW68, held on 12 March 2024.

Soft Skills Training For Rohingya And Host Community Youth In Cox’S Bazar, Bangladesh, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Abdullah Al Mahmud Shohag, Ishtiak Morshed, Sigma Ainul, Md. Irfan Hossain, Mohammad Muktadir Hossain, Sharif M.I. Hossain, Ubaidur Rob

Adolescents and Young People

The Population Council, in collaboration with Research, Training and Management International (RTMI) and Underprivileged Children’s Education Program (UCEP), pilot tested a soft skills training intervention in two Rohingya camps and a vocational training center in the host community in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh in 2022. As a follow-up to the pilot program, the Council along with its partners rolled out soft skills training in four Rohingya camps and a vocational training center in the host community in 2023. The purpose of this training was to improve the personal, social, and financial management skills of Rohingya youth, which would be of use …

Selam Medirashachin (Safe Arrival) Project: Addressing The Risk Of Trafficking, Violence, And Sexual Abuse Among Newly Arriving Migrant Girls In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Annabel Erulkar, Eyasu Hailu

Adolescents and Young People

Rates of urbanization in Ethiopia are significant and, increasingly, young females are among those who migrate from rural to urban areas. Previous research in Addis Ababa showed that, compared to boys and young men, young female migrants are more likely to migrate to cities without the accompaniment of immediate family members. and often move in with people with whom they have only loose affiliation or live on their own. Previous Population Council research on the experience of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) revealed that girls’ migration from rural to urban areas of the country may be perilous. This is …

Understanding The Education Profiles Of Seven East And Southern African Countries, Girl Center

Adolescents and Young People

Despite significant progress in improving primary enrollment and attainment for girls in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in recent years, gender disparities in education persist and hinder opportunities for girls. Educational attainment for girls has plateaued in numerous countries, with only a few making significant strides in narrowing the gender gap. Moreover, attainment alone does not always translate to improved learning. Gender-related barriers such as school environments that are not conducive to learning and the experience of violence, early and forced marriage, and early childbearing, as well as a lack of support for girls’ education impede attainment and learning. The …

Understanding The Education Profiles Of Eight Latin American Countries, Girl Center

Adolescents and Young People

Despite significant progress in improving primary enrollment and attainment for girls in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in recent years, gender disparities in education persist and hinder opportunities for girls. Educational attainment for girls has plateaued in numerous countries, with only a few making significant strides in narrowing the gender gap. Moreover, attainment alone does not always translate to improved learning. Gender-related barriers such as school environments that are not conducive to learning and the experience of violence, early and forced marriage, and early childbearing, as well as a lack of support for girls’ education impede attainment and learning. The …

Mentoring In Group-Based Adolescent Girl Programs In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: Evidence-Informed Approaches, Miriam Temin, Sarah Blake, Eva Roca

Adolescents and Young People

Adolescent girls face distinct challenges that require tailored and girl-centered responses. This brief draws on the knowledge of program implementers and researchers who work on community-based girl group (CBGG) programs (often called “safe spaces”) in various low- and middle-income settings and the US. It summarizes emerging lessons and insights on CBGGs, emphasizing the vital role that mentors play in this group-based model. The evidence emphasizes the importance of providing mentors with training, supervision, compensation, solidarity, and opportunities to build their own networks.

How Climate Change Is Shaping Young People’S Livelihoods And Educational Opportunities, Population Council, Women Deliver

Adolescents and Young People

The climate crisis is threatening global access to education and the creation of livelihood and/or economic opportunities for adolescents and young people (AYP). Climate change prevents more than 12.5 million girls from completing their education each year, and this is projected to increase. The Population Council and Women Deliver conducted participatory, AYP co-led focus group discussions in three countries (Bangladesh, Guatemala, and Nigeria). In each country, a participant in the Women Deliver Young Leaders program teamed up with Council researchers to talk to AYP (ages 12–25 years) about how climate change is affecting their lives, from health to education to …

The Health Effects Of Climate Change: Experiences Of Young People In Bangladesh, Guatemala, And Nigeria, Population Council, Women Deliver

Adolescents and Young People

Climate change is affecting the health and well-being of adolescents and young people (AYP) worldwide. This happens through direct exposure pathways but mainly indirectly, by influencing economic and food insecurity, access to health services, and harmful gender norms and social inequalities. According to a recent meta-analysis of 130 studies, climate change disproportionately harms the health of women and girls, especially younger generations. There are intergenerational inequities in exposure to climate extremes. A child born in 2020 will face an up to sevenfold increase in extreme climate events compared to one born in 1960. These events will have cascading harms and …

Results From The Basmeh & Zeitooneh (B&Z) Intervention To Empower Adolescent Girls And Young Women At Risk Of Child Marriage And Poor Reproductive Health Among The Syrian Refugee Population In Lebanon, Rima Mourtada

Adolescents and Young People

This report presents results from the final evaluation of a social, health, and economic asset-building program implemented by the Lebanon-based non-governmental organization (NGO) Basmeh & Zeitooneh (B&Z) and aimed at reducing the social isolation of vulnerable adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) aged 10–21 years old living in the Shatila and Burj al Barajneh refugee camps in South Beirut. The program sought to help girls gain the skills and knowledge they need to avoid child marriage and adolescent pregnancy and to make a healthy transition to adulthood despite the numerous challenges they face. The program focused on two sub-populations of …

Research Snapshot: Impacts Of Cash-Plus Programs On Child Marriage, Elrha R2hc Programme

Adolescents and Young People

A cluster randomised controlled trial in Wajir County, Kenya demonstrates that multisectoral cash-plus interventions can significantly reduce the incidence of adolescent childbearing and marriage.

Exploring The Role Of Men In Child Marriage Decision-Making In Rural Upper Egypt, Salma Abou Hussein, Reham Abou El-Fadl, Sally Radwan, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab

Adolescents and Young People

Egypt’s 2021 Family Health Survey indicated that nearly 18% of women aged 20–24 years had married or were engaged before turning 18. This brief explores the perspectives of adolescent girls, their families, and key stakeholders on the role of men in the decision-making process pertaining to child marriage. The study took place in Assiut and Sohag in Upper Egypt selected on the basis of the high prevalence of child marriage. Results confirm that, in line with the patriarchal norms that underlie most marriage decisions in rural Upper Egypt, fathers/male guardians are the primary decision-makers regarding when a girl gets married …

Menstruation And Adolescent Girls' Daily Lives In Rural Upper Egypt, Salma Abou Hussein, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab

Adolescents and Young People

The Population Council conducted a qualitative study to understand the menstruation-related attitudes, practices, and perceptions that shape adolescent girls’ daily routines in rural upper Egypt communities, specifically Assiut and Sohag. The study relied on in-depth interviews with unmarried adolescent girls aged 13–16; focus group discussions with girls aged 13–16, mothers, fathers, and male siblings of adolescent girls; and key informant interviews with schoolteachers, doctors/nurses, pharmacists, and community leaders. “Period poverty” (lack of access to, or inability to afford period supplies) can be detected among adolescent girls in rural Assiut and Sohag. Lack of information and emotional and practical support before …

Recap Report: Girls Deliver Pre-Conference On Adolescent Girls At The Women Deliver 2023 Conference, Girl Center

Adolescents and Young People

The Girls Deliver: Pre-Conference on Adolescent Girls was held on July 16, 2023 in Kigali Rwanda to kick off the Women Deliver 2023 Conference. Girls Deliver was led by the Population Council’s Girl Innovation, Research, and Learning Center (GIRL Center) and co-hosted by AFIDEP, Amplify Girls, Baobab Research Programme Consortium, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Coalition for Adolescent Girls, Exemplars in Global Health, FP2030, Girl Effect, Girls First Fund, Hilton Foundation, NDI, Plan International, PMNCH, Purposeful, Together for Girls, UNICEF, Women Deliver, and The World Bank Africa Gender Innovation Lab.

This recap report presents an overview of Girls Deliver, a summary …

Evaluation Of Biruh Tesfa (Bright Future) For All: A Program For Out-Of-School Girls, Migrants, And Domestic Workers In Low-Income Ethiopian Cities, Annabel Erulkar, Eyasu Hailu, Henock Markos, Getnet Demissie, Tsegahun Tessema, Hana Hailu

Adolescents and Young People

Biruh Tesfa (“Bright Future)” is the name of a program designed in the mid-2000s to address the disadvantage of out-of-school girls in urban Ethiopia. The program was originally designed to address social isolation by bringing girls together in safe spaces groups with adult female mentors and providing them with skills-building activities, including life skills, reproductive health, HIV education, nonformal education and referrals, and training. This evaluation examines various aspects of the Biruh Tesfa for All Program: characteristics of beneficiaries, including domestic workers; patterns of attendance, absenteeism, and dropout; indicators of mental health such as self-reported anxiety, sadness, and depression; and …

Advancing The Agenda In Girls’ Education Research, Benta Abuya, David Evans, Selim Gulesci, Nicole Haberland, Susannah Hares, Rabea Malik, Alessia Mortara, Pauline Rose

Adolescents and Young People

No abstract provided.

Adolescent Education, Health And Wellbeing Status In Four Counties In Kenya: Two Years Into The Covid-19 Pandemic, Population Council Kenya

Adolescents and Young People

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in widespread school closures globally, including in Kenya. This educational disruption had potential adverse consequences for adolescent school learners including school dropout, learning loss, opportunity losses, loss of previously acquired skills, and loss of socio-emotional benefits of time spent with peers and teachers. This study was undertaken in four counties in Kenya—two urban (Nairobi, Kisumu) and two rural (Kilifi and Wajir). Focusing on adolescent girls aged 10–19, the study increased understanding of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on girls’ education outcomes to enable implementation of policies and programs to address immediate harms caused, and to …

Learnings From Past Interventions In The Digital Era: Evidence-Based Considerations For Adolescents’ Programming Using Information And Communication Technologies, Grace Saul, Waimar Tun

Adolescents and Young People

This commentary examines key lessons from evidence-based adolescents’ programs—related to intentional recruitment, the role of mentors, and multi-level intervention strategies—and how the adoption of digital technologies can create opportunities to strengthen programs, provided that evidence-based lessons remain at the core of intervention strategies.

The Prevalence Of Domestic Servitude Among Child Domestic Workers In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Research Findings, Annabel Erulkar, Lemi Negeri, Eyasu Hailu

Adolescents and Young People

It is estimated that there are 17.2 million child domestic workers globally, most of whom are girls. Research related to this marginalized group is limited, with most at a small scale or subsumed in other topics, such as domestic workers generally. The dearth of evidence limits awareness about girls in such circumstances and inhibits the design and implementation of context-appropriate policy and program responses. This mixed-method study is one of the few large-scale studies to examine child domestic work, including its prevalence, the entry and experience of girls in this work, and levels of human trafficking, hazardous work, and illegal …

Exploitative Working Conditions For Child Domestic Workers In Ethiopia, The Freedom Fund

Adolescents and Young People

This brief, published by the Freedom Fund, highlights the main findings from a large-scale study on the prevalence of child domestic workers in Addis Ababa.

Girl Center Roadmap To 2030, Girl Center

Adolescents and Young People

Today’s rising generation of 1.3 billion adolescents are tomorrow’s future. Yet, adolescent girls fare worse than boys in many ways, including education and experiences with violence. Furthermore, the implications of key experiences for girls in adolescence—school dropout, early marriage, motherhood, sexual and gender-based violence—are irreversible. The GIRL Center Roadmap to 2030 outlines the strategy of the Population Council’s GIRL Center—generating and communicating evidence, convening experts, and nurturing talent. Undertaking a girl-centered, evidence-driven, intersectional, and innovative approach that is grounded in low- and middle-income countries, the GIRL Center focuses on: intergenerational poverty and gender inequity; adolescents and the digital space; adolescents …

A3 Policy Checklist User Guide, Yeeva Cheng, Cara Kraus-Perrotta

Adolescents and Young People

The Adolescent Atlas for Action (A3) is a suite of tools that summarizes the lives and needs of adolescents around the world to promote evidence-based decision-making. Through accessible and easy-to-grasp data just one click away, the A3 bridges the gap between decisionmakers and evidence to inform policies and programs. The A3 Policy Checklist, created by the Population Council’s GIRL Center, features a curated list of national policies relevant to adolescents under 9 thematic domains, and whether countries have enacted each policy. The checklist presents a snapshot of commitments made to achieving adolescent wellbeing through adolescent-focused policies. As of July 2022, …

Building The A3 Policy Checklist, Yeeva Cheng, Cara Kraus-Perrotta

Adolescents and Young People

The Adolescent Atlas for Action (A3) is a suite of tools that summarizes the lives and needs of adolescents around the world to promote evidence-based decision-making. Through accessible and easy-to-grasp data just one click away, the A3 bridges the gap between decisionmakers and evidence to inform policies and programs. The A3 Policy Checklist, created by the Population Council’s GIRL Center, features a curated list of national policies relevant to the lives of adolescents under 9 thematic domains, and whether countries have enacted each policy. The checklist presents a snapshot of commitments made to achieving adolescent wellbeing through adolescent-focused policies. As …

An Overview Of The Adolescent Data Hub (Adh), Yeeva Cheng, Cara Kraus-Perrotta

Adolescents and Young People

The Adolescent Data Hub (ADH) is a catalog of open-access datasets on adolescents and young people from low- and middle- income countries (LMICs). It contains links to data sources, from which users can download or request to download data.

Building The Adolescent Indicators And Gender Gaps Dashboard, Lauren Woyczynski, Christina Misunas, Md. Irfan Hossain

Adolescents and Young People

The Adolescent Atlas for Action (A3) is a suite of tools that summarizes the lives and needs of adolescents around the world to promote evidence-based decision-making. Through accessible and easy-to-grasp data just one click away, the A3 bridges the gap between decisionmakers and evidence to inform policies and programs. The Adolescent Indicators dashboard and Gender Gaps dashboard are two simple but dynamic dashboards that provide insights on the lives of adolescent girls and boys living in low- and middle income countries (LMICs) across 9 thematic domains of wellbeing. The Adolescent Indicators dashboard showcases how adolescent girls or boys are faring …

Girls On The Map: Mapping For Program Planning And Social Change, Eva Roca

Adolescents and Young People

This guide explores ways in which maps can add depth to the learning process as practitioners design programs for girls. Mapping leads practitioners through a cycle of information collection and analysis. It supports decision-making about where, with whom, and when to work, and how programs can make a real difference in girls’ lives. Programs increasingly recognize the importance of household and community characteristics in shaping girls’ lives, yet it is relatively less common to measure or map community features as part of program planning. Mapping relevant populations of girls and the features of the communities they live in can inform …

From Data To Action: Informing Menstrual Health Management Programs, Emily Eunyoung Cho, Karen Austrian, Nicole Haberland

Adolescents and Young People

The Population Council’s Girl Innovation, Research, and Learning (GIRL) Center and Evidence for Gender and Education Resource (EGER) program hosted the second virtual webinar of its From Data to Action series, “Informing Menstrual Health Management Programs” in February 2022. This document provides a recap of the webinar, which featured a global systematic review and results from a randomized controlled trial in Kenya on menstrual health management (MHM) programs. ZanaAfrica shared perspectives on program implementation and how the evidence is shaping their approach.

What Works To Improve Outcomes For Kenya’S Adolescent Girls?, Population Council

Adolescents and Young People

The Adolescent Girls Initiative-Kenya is a study that evaluates the long-term impact of a multi-sectoral intervention targeted at adolescent girls aged 11 to 15 years from Kibera and rural Wajir. The intervention consisted of four different components: a community-based violence prevention program, an education conditional cash transfer (CCT), health-focused girls' empowerment clubs, and wealth creation for girls via financial education and savings activities. This brief looks at the impact of the two-year program in Wajir County four years after it ended.

From Data To Action: Partnering With Governments On Evidence To Support Adolescents During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Emily Eunyoung Cho, Karen Austrian, Isabel Vieitez Martínez

Adolescents and Young People

The Population Council’s Girl Innovation, Research, and Learning (GIRL) Center hosted a virtual webinar in October 2021, bringing together evidence from two country-level studies on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent lives in Kenya and Mexico. This document provides a recap of the webinar, in which government partners reflected on the government-research partnership behind these efforts and shared their perspectives on lessons learned and the future of evidence-based policy action to support adolescents.