Sociology Commons^™

Providers' And Key Opinion Leaders' Attitudes, Beliefs, And Practices Regarding Emergency Contraception In India: Final Survey Report, M.E. Khan, Deepthi S. Varma, Isha Bhatnagar, Anvita Dixit, Martha Brady

Reproductive Health

The Population Council undertook this study to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding emergency contraception (ECPs) among providers in public and private facilities and pharmacies in India. This study’s objectives were: 1) to assess providers’ knowledge of ECP’s biological mechanism; 2) to understand providers’ knowledge and attitudes about ECP’s safety, effectiveness, and availability as an over-the-counter drug; and 3) to identify providers’ definitions of “repeated use” and profiling of women who are “repeated users” of ECP. The study recommends intervention programs and advocacy strategies to increase knowledge and access to ECP.

The Africa Regional Sexual And Gender-Based Violence Network Annual Partners Meeting: June 26-27 2012, Mombasa, Kenya—Meeting Report, Population Council

Reproductive Health

The Population Council convened an annual partners meeting of its Africa Regional Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Network. Over 30 participants attended the meeting whose objectives were: 1) to facilitate South-South technical exchange and information-sharing on the changing landscape of violence among partners, donors, and other experts; and 2) to reflect on the ways in which research is translating into policy and practice. This report highlights the myriad ways in which activities conducted under this Network have influenced policy, practice, and funding considerations in the region, while detailing the progress of Network partners on their projects, built around several key …

Expanding Access To Comprehensive Reproductive Health And Hiv Information And Services For Married Adolescent Girls In Nyanza Province, Chi-Chi Undie, Harriet Birungi, Francis Obare, Ben Ochieng, Wilson Liambila, Erick Oweya, Ian Askew, Rob Burnet, Bridget Deacon, Aisha Mohamed

Reproductive Health

The objectives of this operations research study, conducted by the Population Council’s APHIA II Operations Research Project in Kenya, were to: 1) identify and design a set of interventions that promote the uptake of comprehensive reproductive health (RH)/family planning (FP) and HIV prevention services and information among married adolescent girls; and 2) expand access to comprehensive RH/FP and HIV prevention services and information among this population. The study demonstrated that the combined use of interactive media and community health worker visitation, health information provision, and referrals, is an effective means of reinforcing RH/FP and HIV messages, and of increasing access …

Évaluation De Processus : Programme Filles Eveillées Pour Adolescentes Migrantes Employées De Maison Au Burkina Faso Urbain 2012, Leah Jarvis, Gisele Kaboré

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Le programme «Filles Éveillées» a été conçu pour apporter aux adolescentes migrantes employées de maison les compétences, les connaissances et le capital social qui leur permettent de réduire leurs vulnérabilités et de s’ouvrir de nouveaux débouchés. Les observations tirées de la collecte de données quantitatives et qualitatives ont révélé le succès considérable du programme: il est largement apprécié et a été bien reçu par les participantes, les mentors, les membres de la communauté et tous les autres intéressés. En sa qualité de programme pilote, les obstacles à une mise en œuvre sans incidents auraient été inévitables, mais par leur détermination …

Rape Sentencing Study: A Review Of Statutory Sentencing Provisions For Rape, Defilement, And Sexual Assault In East, Central, And Southern Africa, Jill Thompson, Felly Nkweto Simmonds

Reproductive Health

Several countries in East, Central and Southern Africa have responded to the problem of violence against women and children by amending outdated criminal laws relating to rape and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence. This legislative review is Part I of a two-part desk review on sentencing of sexual offences and minimum sentences in the African and international context. It should be read in conjunction with Part II of the Rape Sentencing Study. The purpose of this review is to: 1) document the sentencing reforms made in selected countries in the East, Central and Southern African region since 1998; …

Le Consensus De Bellagio : Recommandations Pour Améliorer L'Accès Aux Méthodes De Contraception Efficaces, Réversibles À Longue Durée D'Action, Population Council

Reproductive Health

Ce communiqué et cette déclaration proposent des recommandations pour améliorer l'accès aux méthodes de contraception efficaces, réversibles à longue durée d'action (LARC) et accélérer les progrès vers la réalisation de l'Objectif du Millénaire pour le développement relatif à l'accès universel aux services de santé reproductive.

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This brief and statement offers recommendations for action to increase access to highly effective, long-acting, reversible contraception (LARCs) and accelerate progress toward meeting the Millennium Development Goal of universal access to reproductive health services.

Repositioning Community-Based Family Planning In Ghana: A Case Study Of Community-Based Health Planning And Services (Chps), Stephen Ntsua, Placide Tapsoba, Gloria Quansah Asare, Frank K. Nyonator

Reproductive Health

The Population Council conducted a diagnostic appraisal of delivering family planning services using the community-based health planning and services (CHPS model) in Ghana. This study’s results indicate that the CHPS program is well appreciated by rural communities where it is operational. However, the study identified several developments with implications for service delivery: increased community health officer (CHO) workloads and concomitant reductions in outreach services and home visits by community health visitors (CHVs) have weakened the CHO-CHV working relationship, leaving both cadres working in isolation. CHPS has significantly improved health indices but its contribution to increasing family planning is limited and …

Routine Screening For Intimate Partner Violence In Public Health Care Settings In Kenya: An Assessment Of Acceptability, Chi-Chi Undie, Catherine Maternowska, Margaret Mak'anyengo, Harriet Birungi, Jill Keesbury, Ian Askew

Reproductive Health

Most research on intimate-partner violence (IPV) screening has been conducted in developed countries, so this study in Kenya serves as one of the first in a developing-country context to assess the acceptability of IPV screening from the perspective of providers and clients in public healthcare settings. The study conducted in Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi found that routine screening for IPV is acceptable to providers and clients at that location. However, to be effective as a routine service, the system needs to be reinforced in specific ways, including greater assurance of confidentiality, more positive provider attitudes, and higher respect for …

Assessing And Improving Self-Reporting Of Male Circumcision In Zambia And Swaziland, Paul C. Hewett, Nicole Haberland, Barbara Mensch, Louis Apicella

HIV and AIDS

The Male Circumcision (MC) Partnership was established with the support of the Gates Foundation and PEPFAR to scale up MC services in Zambia, in collaboration with the Zambian government. The MC Partnership is a five-year project led by Population Services International (Society for Family Health, Zambia), in partnership with Jhpiego, Marie Stopes International (MSI), and the Population Council. The ultimate objective of this study is to provide researchers and program managers with evidence-based recommendations for the collection of self-reported data on MC status through an assessment of different methods to describe and explain MC. Specifically, the study assessed tools for …

Belize Coverage Exercise Study: Assessing The Status To Build A Portfolio Of Targeted Interventions For Vulnerable Girls, Joint Un Programme Of Adolescent Girls

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The United Nation Children Fund, the United Nations Population Fund, and Population Council staff collaborated on a number of activities to generate evidence on the lives and experiences of adolescent girls in Belize. The goal of the collaboration was to establish targeted, evidence-based policies and programs sensitive to the unique needs of girls. The information presented in this report is of particular interest to program planners, policymakers, and decisionmakers from a wide range of institutions seeking to designate resources for programs and policies for vulnerable or marginalized subgroups of young people, particularly girls, in Belize. The report presents empirical evidence …

Process Evaluation: The Filles Eveillées ('Girls Awakened') Program For Migrant Adolescent Girls In Domestic Service In Urban Burkina Faso, Leah Jarvis, Gisele Kaboré

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Filles Éveillées (“Girls Awakened”) program provides migrant adolescent domestic workers in Burkina Faso with the skills, knowledge, and social capital to reduce their vulnerability and increase their opportunities. The program consists of three elements: a safe space for girls to meet, access to same-sex peers to develop social networks, and a female mentor. This report summarizes the results of an evaluation of Filles Éveillées aimed to improve the program in its second cycle. The assessment evaluated: elements of the program that were or were not implemented as planned and obstacles to implementation; and improvements to the structure, implementation, and …

Female Disadvantage In The Egyptian Labor Market: A Youth Perspective [Arabic], Maia Sieverding

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

In this brief, three aspects of female youth’s disadvantage in the labor market are analyzed: low labor force participation, high unemployment, and concentration in the public sector. These issues are closely interrelated and can be addressed through a set of policies that promote family-friendly employment conditions and the formalization of the private sector. The establishment of job search services for female youth is also critical to addressing the gender gap in unemployment.

Berhane Hewan ('Light For Eve'): Increasing Opportunities To Delay Marriage And Promote Schooling, Annabel Erulkar, Eunice N. Muthengi

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This policy brief describes the findings of a pilot study on girls’ experience of early marriage, education, and sexual behavior in rural Amhara Region, Ethiopia. The brief also discusses efforts in the region to delay marriage and promote girls’ schooling. The Amhara Bureau of Women, Children and Youth Affairs and the Population Council pilot-tested a program to delay marriage and support schooling in rural Amhara Region. The program, entitled Berhane Hewan (Amharic for “Light for Eve”), included community conversations, support for remaining in school, and conditional cash transfers if girls remained unmarried and in school for the duration of the …

Violence Against Adolescent Girls: A Fundamental Challenge To Meaningful Equality, Judith Bruce

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Societies, rich and poor alike, are increasingly articulating commitments that guarantee girls safe and equal access to entitlements, services, social participation, and economic opportunities. yet threats of violence in many forms intervene to prevent girls from claiming their rights. Many countries stipulate equality between males and females in their constitutions. Theoretically, safe access to resources and facilities is equally afforded to girls and boys, however a far higher proportion of boys and a smaller subset of usually more privileged girls may actually claim their rights and opportunities. The experience of violence is devastating at the individual emotional and physical level. …

Réseaux Sociaux Et Les Capacités Financières Des Filles Employées De Maison À Bobo-Dioulasso, Gisele Kaboré

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Depuis plus d’une année, le Population Council assure la mise en œuvre du projet «Filles Éveillées» ciblant les travailleuses domestiques dans les zones urbaines au Burkina Faso. L’objectif de cette étude est d’avoir une meilleure connaissance des réseaux sociaux des filles—soit avec les personnes dans sa nouvelle communauté soit avec des personnes dans son village à travers la technologie—depuis leurs zones d’origine, sachant que la phase de transit n’est pas bien comprise mais que ça peut influencer le séjour de la fille en ville. Cette étude a pour objectif de cerner les capacités et les modes de gestion financières des …

De La Recherche À La Conception Programmatique Et À La Mise En Oeuvre : Programmation À L'Intention Des Filles Des Milieux Ruraux D'Éthiopie—Boîte À Outils Du Praticien, Annabel Erulkar

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Cette boîte à outils décrit comment créer ou améliorer des programmes pour les filles de l’Éthiopie rurale, en vue d'accroître le nombre de programmes organisés à leur intention et de les rendre pertinents et mieux adaptés à leur contexte. La boîte à outils décrit un processus d’élaboration programmatique fermement ancré dans les faits. Les chapitres procèdent dès lors d’un point de départ axé sur la recherche pour identifier et décrire les filles, pour se concentrer ensuite sur le développement programmatique émanant des données, et aboutir enfin sur la mise en œuvre guidée par le suivi et l’évaluation permanents.

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This …

Female Disadvantage In The Egyptian Labor Market: A Youth Perspective, Maia Sieverding

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

In this brief, three aspects of female youth’s disadvantage in the labor market are analyzed: low labor force participation, high unemployment, and concentration in the public sector. These issues are closely interrelated and can be addressed through a set of policies that promote family-friendly employment conditions and the formalization of the private sector. The establishment of job search services for female youth is also critical to addressing the gender gap in unemployment.

Priorités Pour L'Éducation Des Adolescentes, Cynthia B. Lloyd

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

L’adolescence marque une période de croissance et de développement rapides sur le plan physique, affectif, et cognitif. Côté féminin, il s’agit d’une étape de la vie durant laquelle l’éducation, si elle est efficace, peut être transformatrice. Un problème majeur, dans la plupart des pays en développement, est que les systèmes d’éducation en place ne cernent et ne réalisent pas leur potentiel d’autonomisation des adolescentes en les dotant de compétences économiquement productives. L’éducation des filles durant l’adolescence peut les tenir à l’abri des risques d’une initiation sexuelle précoce, différer le mariage et la maternité et leur permettre de vivre une enfance …

Safe And Smart Savings For Vulnerable Girls In Kenya And Uganda: The Evolving Model, Lessons Learned, And Recommendations, Karen Austrian, Eunice N. Muthengi, Angela Wambugu, Dennitah Ghati, Elizabeth Kariuki

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

To make a healthy and safe transition to adulthood—completing school, remaining HIV negative, avoiding unwanted pregnancies, and finding a meaningful livelihood—adolescent girls require a combination of social, health, and economic assets. The Population Council and partners designed, implemented, and evaluated Safe and Smart Savings Products for Vulnerable Adolescent Girls—a three-part program to build assets through weekly group meetings led by female community mentors. The program included group meetings, financial and basic health education, and a formal savings account. This brief provides a description of the program model and how it evolved from the pilot to the rollout phases from Kenya …

Marps Sensitization: A Diversity Training Guide For Health Care Providers In Nigeria, Enhancing Nigeria's Hiv/Aids Response (Enr) Programme

HIV and AIDS

Men who have sex with men (MSM) present specific diagnostic and management challenges to counselors and health-care providers. High prevalence of HIV infection has been reported among MSM in Nigeria, driven partly by stigma, discrimination, lack of appropriate prevention strategies, limited research evidence, little recognition by policymakers, and inadequate knowledge and skills in dealing with MSM clients. In Nigeria, where homosexuality is illegal, the risk embodied in same-sex activities is high and makes hiding MSM activities almost a norm. Currently, health-care provider training materials that address most at-risk populations’ (MARPs) specific health needs are nonexistent in Nigeria. Knowledge of these …

La Violence Faite Aux Adolescentes : Un Défi Fondamental À La Vraie Égalité, Judith Bruce

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Les sociétés, riches comme pauvres, articulent chaque jour davantage des engagements qui garantissent aux filles un accès égal aux droits, aux services, à la participation sociale et à l’épanouissement économique, pourtant, bien des menaces de violence sous de nombreuses formes interviennent pour empêcher les filles de revendiquer leurs droits. De nombreux pays stipulent l'égalité entre les hommes et les femmes dans leurs constitutions. Théoriquement, l’accès sûr aux ressources et aux aménagements est assuré à parts égales aux filles et aux garçons, mais une bien plus grande proportion de garçons et un sous-ensemble moindre de filles généralement privilégiées peuvent effectivement se …

The Health Of Vulnerable Adolescent Girls: A Strategic Investment For Double Return, Jennifer Catino

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Worldwide there are 1.2 billion adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19. Nearly 90 percent of them live in developing countries, and approximately 600 million are female. While adolescence is normally a time of good health, numerous developmental and social changes occur during this period, many of which have health implications, especially for girls. Most of the girls and young women in the developing world live in conditions that make them vulnerable to health and social risks. They are often poor, out-of-school, married, migrants, members of ethnic minorities, or engaged in unsafe labor. Girls from many of the poorest …

The Cost Of Reaching The Most Disadvantaged Girls: Programmatic Evidence From Egypt, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kenya, South Africa, And Uganda, Jessica Sewall-Menon, Judith Bruce, Karen Austrian, Raven Brown, Jennifer Catino, Alejandra Colom, Angel Del Valle, Habtamu Demele, Annabel Erulkar, Kelly Hallman, Eva Roca, Nadia Zibani

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The most disadvantaged adolescent girls are the poorest girls from the poorest communities. They suffer from human rights abuses, lack education and economic opportunity, are affected by HIV/AIDS, and have poor reproductive and maternal health outcomes. To effectively reach these girls so that they can receive critical services such as gathering spaces, life skills, financial literacy, savings accounts, and reproductive health knowledge, they must be targeted as a distinct segment. It is important to invest in building the capacities of local partners and governments to deliver and scale-up low-cost, well-targeted programs. This technical report is intended to assist programmatic officers, …

Replication Of The Community Mobilization For Postabortion Care (Commpac) Model In Naivasha District, Rift Valley Province, Kenya: An Evaluation Report, Chi-Chi Undie, Francis Obare, Saumya Ramarao

Reproductive Health

The Population Council’s RESPOND project worked with districts and communities in Kenya to: strengthen service delivery points to provide postabortion care (PAC) services; conduct community mobilization to improve involvement in and knowledge of the prevention and treatment of postabortion complications; build community capacity to address needs related to PAC; and encourage involvement in community action of those most marginalized and most affected by postabortion complications. The program succeeded at increasing knowledge of critical danger signs; enabling providers to effectively offer PAC services; and raising awareness of PAC, among other goals. The intervention was less successful in increasing FP knowledge, current …

Girls' Leadership And Mentoring, Karen Austrian

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

GIRLS FIRST! Perspectives on Girl-Centered Programming is a set of five thematic reviews that provide snapshots of the knowledge base on adolescent girls programming. They address the five strategic priorities defined in the 2010 UN Joint Statement, “Accelerating Efforts to Advance the Rights of Adolescent Girls” and provide evidence-based recommendations. This brief describes the best ways to cultivate girl leaders.

Providing Maternal And Newborn Health Services: Experiences Of Auxiliary Nurse Midwives In Rajasthan, K.G. Santhya, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

To better understand the experiences of auxiliary nurse-midwives (ANMs) in providing maternal and newborn health services and to obtain their perspectives on Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), the Population Council undertook an exploratory study of ANMs in two districts of the north-western state of Rajasthan, India. Findings show that the vast majority of the ANMs were aware of best practices related to the immediate care of the newborn. Nevertheless, the findings also suggested a number of priority areas for action, including increased investment in training, encouraging provision of services on a more regular basis, making special efforts to enable ANMs to …

Addis Birhan Wendoch ('New Light Boys'): Working With Boys And Young Men To Create Healthier Futures, Woldemariam Girma, Diane Rubino, Annabel Erulkar, Worku Ambelu, Ayenechew Kerie

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Population Council and the Ethiopian Ministry of Women, Children, and Youth Affairs designed Addis Birhan Wendoch to impart life skills and promote gender-equitable, nonviolent, and healthy behaviors among boys and young men aged 10 to 24. The program helps out-of school boys and young men in Ethiopia navigate toward a healthier future by providing them with trained, compassionate mentors and safe environments in which they can find the support needed to share ideas and take positive actions. Through frank and open discussions, boys have the opportunity to get the facts on a range of essential topics from financial literacy …

Training Manual On The Use Of Magnesium Sulphate In The Management Of Severe Pre-Eclampsia And Eclampsia [Trainee Version], Federal Ministry Of Health, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This training manual provides detailed, descriptive, and practical instructions and tips necessary to respond to obstetric emergencies (severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia). The manual is an integral part of the collaborative efforts between the Federal Ministry of Health and the MacArthur Foundation to scale up the use of magnesium sulphate in the management of severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia in Nigerian health facilities. Magnesium sulphate has been established as the gold standard in the management of severe pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, but lack of knowledge and necessary skill have been identified as some of the factors responsible for its limited use in Nigeria. …

Is Early Childhood Care And Education A Good Investment For Egypt? Estimates Of Educational Impacts, Costs, And Benefits, Caroline Krafft

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This brief examines Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) in Egypt. Findings suggest that expansion of ECCE is a good investment. Providing kindergarten to all Egyptian children, and particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, could be an important step toward greater equality, efficiency, and attainment in the education system.

Filles Eveillées ('Girls Awakened'): A Pilot Program For Migrant Adolescent Girls In Domestic Service In Urban Burkina Faso, Sarah Engebretsen, Gisele Kaboré, Leah Jarvis

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Young people in Burkina Faso, especially adolescent girls, have few economic opportunities, particularly in rural areas. This drives migration to urban areas in search of employment. In 2010, the Population council conducted formative research on migrant adolescent girls in domestic service in urban Burkina Faso. Findings revealed that girls typically live with their employers and spend long days performing arduous work, leaving little time for schooling, building social networks, and developing skills necessary for adulthood. Most programs designed for this population intervene after something has gone wrong rather than building girls’ protective assets. In response to these findings, the Population …