Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons^™

Domestic Violence Is Prevalent Among U.S. Adolescents And Young Adults, Mary E. Helander, Xiaoyan Zhang

Population Health Research Brief Series

Rates of domestic violence are high among adolescents and young adults in the U.S. This data slice describes the geographic distribution of reported domestic violence incidents among adolescents and young adults in the U.S in 2019 and identifies the most common types of incidents.

Dirty Johns: Prosecuting Prostituted Women In Pennsylvania And The Need For Reform, Mckay Lewis

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

Prostitution is as old as human civilization itself. Throughout history, public attitudes toward prostituted women have varied greatly. But adverse consequences of the practice—usually imposed by men purchasing sexual services—have continuously been present. Prostituted women have regularly been subject to violence, discrimination, and indifference from their clients, the general public, and even law enforcement and judicial officers.

Jurisdictions can choose to adopt one of three general approaches to prostitution regulation: (1) criminalization; (2) legalization/ decriminalization; or (3) a hybrid approach known as the Nordic Model. Criminalization regimes are regularly associated with disparate treatment between prostituted women and their clients, high …

Autonomy, Intimate Partner Violence, And Maternal Health-Seeking Behavior: Findings From Mixed-Methods Analysis In Nigeria, Pooja Sripad, Charity Ndwiga, Charlotte E. Warren

Reproductive Health

Gendered norms and discriminatory practices often limit women’s decision-making power, which over time can lead to social norms that systematically subordinate women. Aspects of empowerment were explored in a global evaluation of Demographic and Health Survey data that measured how gendered social norms influenced maternal health-seeking behaviors. Analysis specifically explored associations of women’s autonomy and acceptability of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) on antenatal care use and facility delivery in 63 low- and middle-income countries. Service utilization is positively associated with increased autonomy and negatively associated with increased acceptability of IPVAW, but variability exists across countries and regions. In …

Storytelling And Policy Change In Africa's Great Lakes Region, Chi-Chi Undie, Nathan Byamukama, George Odwe, Nachela Chelwa, Harriet Birungi, Michael Mbizvo

Reproductive Health

In April 2019, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region’s Regional Training Facility (ICGLR-RTF) organized a regional meeting entitled “Sensitization Meeting for Police Chiefs and National Reproductive Health Heads in the Great Lakes Region.” Held in Kigo, Uganda, the meeting brought together chiefs of police and heads of reproductive health departments (Ministries of Health) from nine ICGLR member states, namely: Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia. The meeting was sponsored by the Population Council, Kenya. Sauti/VOICE Program Brief 2 describes the preamble to ICGLR-RTF’s meeting resolutions and …

Autonomy, Intimate Partner Violence, And Maternal Health-Seeking Behavior: Findings From Mixed-Methods Analysis In Bangladesh, Pooja Sripad, Sharif M.I. Hossain, Charity Ndwiga, Charlotte E. Warren

Reproductive Health

Gendered norms and discriminatory practices often limit women’s decision-making power, which over time can lead to social norms that systematically subordinate women. Aspects of empowerment were explored in a global evaluation of Demographic and Health Survey data that measured how gendered social norms influenced maternal health-seeking behaviors. Analysis specifically explored associations of women’s autonomy and acceptability of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) on antenatal care (ANC) use and facility delivery in 63 low- and middle-income countries. Service utilization is positively associated with increased autonomy and negatively associated with increased acceptability of IPVAW, but variability exists across countries and regions. …

Autonomy, Intimate Partner Violence, And Maternal Health-Seeking Behavior: Findings From Mixed-Methods Analysis In Kenya, Charlotte E. Warren, Pooja Sripad, Charity Ndwiga

Reproductive Health

Gendered norms and discriminatory practices often limit women’s decision-making power, which over time can lead to social norms that systematically disadvantage women. Aspects of empowerment were explored in a global evaluation of Demographic and Health Survey data that measured how gendered social norms influenced maternal health-seeking behaviors. Analysis specifically explored associations of women’s autonomy and acceptability of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) on antenatal care use and facility delivery in 63 low- and middle-income countries. Service utilization is positively associated with increased autonomy and negatively associated with increased acceptability of IPVAW, but variability exists across countries and regions. In …

Meeting Report Of The International Conference On The Great Lakes Region's Regional Training Facility: Working With The Police Sector To Meet The Needs Of Sexual Violence Survivors In The Great Lakes Region, Nathan Byamukama, Chi-Chi Undie, Sharon Asiimwe, George Odwe, Nachela Chelwa, Harriet Birungi, Michael Mbizvo

Reproductive Health

For over a decade, the Population Council and its partners (the Africa Regional SGBV Network) have provided technical assistance and conducted research to strengthen the evidence base of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) programming in Africa’s East, Horn, and Great Lakes regions. Under the Africa Regional SGBV Network, the Council and partners developed and tested an intervention including police response to sexual violence survivors, with police provision of emergency contraception (EC) for survivors and referrals to health facilities. This model has been successfully tested in Zambia and Malawi. Studies reveal that EC provision by trained police to sexual violence survivors …

Autonomy, Intimate Partner Violence, And Maternal Health-Seeking Behavior: Findings From Mixed-Methods Analysis In Ethiopia, Charlotte E. Warren, Pooja Sripad, Charity Ndwiga

Reproductive Health

Gendered norms and discriminatory practices often limit women’s decision-making power, which over time can lead to social norms that systematically disadvantage women. Aspects of empowerment were explored in a global evaluation of Demographic and Health Survey data that measured how gendered social norms influenced maternal health-seeking behaviors. Analysis specifically explored associations of women’s autonomy and acceptability of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) on antenatal care (ANC) use and facility delivery in 63 low- and middle-income countries. Service utilization is positively associated with increased autonomy and negatively associated with increased acceptability of IPVAW, but variability exists across countries and regions. …

Gettysburg Social Sciences Review Fall 2018

Gettysburg Social Sciences Review

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Surrogacy: A Human Rights Violation By Renate Klein, Sheela Saravanan

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (Agep): Endline Results—Executive Summary, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Adolescent girls in Zambia face a range of risks and vulnerabilities that challenge their healthy development from girls into young women, and they often lack the social, health, and economic assets that are necessary to mitigate these risks. The issues that confront vulnerable girls—high rates of gender-based violence, unsafe sex that puts girls at risk for unwanted pregnancies and HIV infections, school dropout, lack of economic resources and income-generating options, and lack of agency and participation—are interdependent and have similar causes. The vulnerabilities confronting Zambian adolescent girls formed the basis for designing the Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (AGEP), which 1) …

Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (Agep): Sexual And Gender-Based Violence, Karen Austrian, Erica Soler-Hampejsek, Natalie Jackson Hachonda, Paul C. Hewett

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Acceptability and experience of sexual and gender-based violence is alarmingly high among adolescent girls in Zambia. Even more striking is the very young age from which notions of violence are ingrained and experience with violence begins. This brief summarizes the Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (AGEP) evaluation which demonstrated that in the Zambian context, a program focused on changing norms among girls themselves is not enough to impact attitudes toward and experience of violence. Social and cultural norms are shaped by households, schools, communities, and all of the adults that girls interact with in these places—even the mentors of their own …

Expanding The Evidence Base And Networks For Sexual Violence Response In East And Southern Africa—Completion Report For The Period May 2014–February 2018, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This is the final report of the Expanding the Evidence Base and Networks for Sexual Violence Response program, which, over the years, has enabled regional partners to collectively test and document experiences in tackling violence against children and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in humanitarian contexts. To foster SGBV prevention and ensure that responses to SGBV are effective, the program has targeted a range of stakeholders, including influential regional bodies; the health, education, and justice sectors; and children and refugees—as survivors as well as members of communities where prevention is being promoted. The program has helped to change the way …

Analysis Of Worcester's Youth Employment Sector, Laurie Ross Phd, Ramon Borges-Mendez Phd, Alex Rothfelder

Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise

Overall, the employment rate for Worcester youth has improved since 2000; yet mirroring the nation, Worcester continues to have a smaller share of youth 16-24 employed. This situation is intensified for youth of color and young people facing barriers such as homelessness, exiting foster care, juvenile justice involvement, and limited English proficiency. Mass, Inc. estimates that in Worcester there are 3400 disconnected youth—756 are between 16-19 and 2644 are between 20-24. From the youth employment program inventory, we learned that the city’s programs offer many opportunities for “first job” experiences; has some exemplary programs that integrate youth development and workforce …

Enabling Adolescent Boys To Adopt Attitudes That Espouse Gender Equality And Oppose Violence Against Women And Girls: Evidence From Rural Bihar—Policy Brief, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, K.G. Santhya

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

More than a decade after the enactment of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, violence against women and girls remains widespread in India, and patriarchal norms and attitudes continue to underpin gender roles. While programs that focus on empowering women and girls are necessary, they are not sufficient in themselves to prevent violence; men and boys are key players, and violence prevention programs must include them. This brief describes an intervention, the Do Kadam Barabari Ki Ore (Two Steps Towards Equality) project, implemented among boys and young men ages 13–21 who were members of youth clubs that …

Feasibility Of Screening And Referring Women Experiencing Marital Violence By Engaging Frontline Workers: Evidence From Rural Bihar—Policy Brief, K.G. Santhya, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Do Kadam Barabari Ki Ore (Two Steps Towards Equality) project sought to support frontline health workers (FLWs) to screen women for their experience of marital violence, inform women about their options in case of such an experience, and provide basic counseling and referral, as appropriate, to women reporting the experience. The Population Council together with partners, the Centre for Catalyzing Change and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, with support from UKaid, implemented the project in one district (Patna) of Bihar. This brief describes the intervention and presents evidence on its acceptability and feasibility from the perspective …

Empowering Women And Addressing Marital Violence Through Self-Help Groups: Evidence From Rural Bihar—Policy Brief, K.G. Santhya, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

In recognition of the need to reverse gender disparities, India has instituted numerous policies, laws, and programs intended to empower women and to protect women from violence. However, evidence on what works and what does not work to change notions of masculinity and femininity, reverse the widespread acceptability of marital violence at community level, and reduce women’s experience of intimate partner violence remains limited in the country. The Do Kadam Barabari Ki Ore (Two Steps Towards Equality) was implemented among married women who were members of self-help groups (SHGs) and their husbands. The Population Council together with partners implemented the …

Modifying Behaviours And Notions Of Masculinity: Effect Of A Programme Led By Locally Elected Representatives, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, A.J. Francis Zavier, K.G. Santhya, Rajib Acharya, Neelanjana Pandey, Santosh Kumar Singh, Komal Saxena, Aparajita Gogoi, Madhu Joshi, Sandeep Ojha

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Population Council, together with the Centre for Catalyzing Change and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and with support from UKaid, implemented the Do Kadam Barabari Ki Ore (Two Steps Towards Equality) program. The project, situated in Patna district, India aimed to orient and engage locally elected leaders—namely, members of Gram Panchayats and Gram Kachehris—in changing community norms relating to the acceptability of violence against women, and preventing violence against women as well as one factor closely associated with the perpetration of such violence, namely alcohol abuse. Specifically, it assessed: 1) the feasibility of sensitizing and training …

Married Adolescent Girls In Rural Assiut And Souhag: Limited Choices And Unfulfilled Reproductive Health Needs, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Doaa Oraby, Omaima El-Gibaly, Manal Darwish, Mirette Aziz, Amira Elgazzar, Heba Mahmoud

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

According to the Survey of Young People in Egypt 2014, a significant proportion of young women residing in rural Upper Egypt were reported to be married before 18. Early marriage deprives a girl of education and employment opportunities and places her at risk of early and repeat pregnancy, gender-based violence, and sexually transmitted infections. The present study examines the sexual and reproductive health needs of married adolescent girls (MAGs) in rural Upper Egypt and identifies key contextual and cognitive factors that could mitigate or exacerbate the effects of early marriage on their sexual and reproductive health. The report finds that …

Training Locally Elected Representatives To Act As Change Agents To Promote Egalitarian Gender Norms: Lessons Learned From The Do Kadam Barabari Ki Ore Programme—Policy Brief, K.G. Santhya, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This policy brief describes an intervention, the Do Kadam Barabari Ki Ore (Two Steps Towards Equality) project in Patna district, India that sought to train locally elected representatives to act as change agents to promote egalitarian gender norms among men and women in their communities, and the effects of exposure to the project among members of the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs, local self-governance bodies) and men and women from the community. The project was undertaken by the Population Council, together with partners, the Centre for Catalysing Change and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and with support from …

Youth And Domestic Violence [Arabic], Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

[In Arabic] Women in Egypt, like most women in the world, are exposed to domestic violence—physical, verbal, and emotional—which has many social, economic, and psychological effects. These effects are felt not only by the women, but also by their families and society as a whole, ultimately affecting the national economy. This brief reports on results from the 2014 Demographic and Health Survey which found that there is still widespread tolerance of domestic violence among the population. Key findings include: education can influence young girls’ attitudes toward violence (high school–educated girls are more likely to reject violence); early marriage may be …

Empowering Women And Addressing Violence Against Them Through Self-Help Groups (Shgs), Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, K.G. Santhya, Rajib Acharya, A.J. Francis Zavier, Neelanjana Pandey, Santosh Kumar Singh, Komal Saxena, Shilpi Rampal, Sharmistha Basu, Aparajita Gogoi, Madhu Joshi, Sandeep Ojha

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This report details results of a program implemented by the Population Council, together with the Centre for Catalyzing Change and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine: Do Kadam Barabari Ki Ore (Two Steps Towards Equality). The primary objective of the program was to test whether strengthening existing village-level self-help groups (SHGs); orienting members on violence against women and girls, and supporting them in prevention activities; and helping women who experience violence had changed their gender-role attitudes and reduced the experience of marital violence. On the whole, findings show that the program was acceptable and effective in many ways. …

The Effect Of A Gender Transformative Life Skills Education And Sports-Coaching Programme On The Attitudes And Practices Of Adolescent Boys And Young Men In Bihar, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, Rajib Acharya, Neelanjana Pandey, K.G. Santhya, A.J. Francis Zavier, Santosh Kumar Singh, Komal Saxena, Aparajita Gogoi, Madhu Joshi, Sandeep Ojha

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The importance of starting young to change youths’ attitudes and behaviors—especially of young boys—has been widely acknowledged, but a key challenge has been the limited evidence on the kinds of programs that have succeeded in making such changes. In order to fill this gap, the Population Council, together with partners, the Centre for Catalysing Change and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and with support from UKaid, implemented the Do Kadam Barabari Ki Ore (Two Steps Towards Equality) project among boys. Implemented in rural areas of Patna district, India this project sought to promote, among adolescent boys and …

Adolescent Health: Priorities And Opportunities For Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram, Sapna Desai

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Government of India in 2014 signaled its commitment to adolescent health through introduction of a national strategy, Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK). Targeting adolescents aged 10–14 and 15–19, the program aims to ensure universal coverage of health information and services for all adolescents—those in and out of school, married or unmarried, and in vulnerable groups. Envisaged as a paradigm shift to address adolescent health beyond sexual and reproductive health, RKSK spans six domains: nutrition, sexual and reproductive health, mental health, injuries and violence including gender-based violence, substance misuse, and non-communicable diseases. This policy brief presents evidence on adolescent health …

The Effects Of School Violence On Education In Malawi, Stephanie Psaki, Barbara Mensch, Erica Soler-Hampejsek

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

In response to a global policy effort to increase school enrollment, in 1994 Malawi became one of the first low-income countries to eliminate primary school fees. Since then, Malawi has achieved nearly universal primary enrollment, however enrolling young Malawians in school has not translated into keeping them in school. This policy brief describes the nature and consequences of school violence in rural Malawi—a common experience for both girls and boys. There is little evidence that school violence disrupts schooling as expected, with the exception of sexual violence experienced at school by boys. Violence at home is also common, and may …

Harmonizing National Abortion And Pregnancy Prevention Laws And Policies For Sexual Violence Survivors With The Maputo Protocol, Jill Thompson, Chi-Chi Undie, Avni Amin, Ronald Johnson, Rajat Khosla, Ian Askew, Leopold Ouedraogo, Triphonie Nkurunziza, Sarah Rich, Elizabeth Westley, Melissa Garcia

Reproductive Health

In April 2016, the Population Council, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Consortium for Emergency Contraception (ICEC) convened a three-day regional technical meeting aimed at helping participating countries meet their obligations under the Maputo Protocol to protect and promote the reproductive health rights of women and girls, with a special emphasis on survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence. Participants included representatives from six countries in sub-Saharan Africa—Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, and Zambia—as well as international and regional experts on reproductive health, law, and human rights. Presentations and discussions focused primarily on the prevention and management of …

Campaña Del Lazo Blanco: Sesiones De Diálogo Para Su Promoción, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

La Campaña de Lazo Blanco, promovida por UNFPA, se basa en el principio de incluir a los hombres como socios que promueven acciones comunitarias para incentivar la prevención de la violencia hacia la mujer. Esta guía para las sesiones de diálogo de la Campaña de Lazo Blanco en Guatemala fue desarrollada por el Population Council en el marco del Proyecto Interagencial de Prevención de la Violencia hacia las Mujeres. Este documento contiene herramientas para que participantes y facilitadores reflexionen sobre las formas de relacionamiento entre hombres y mujeres, identifiquen formas de violencia hacia las mujeres, y discutan sobre posibles soluciones …

Reducing Violence Against Women And Girls In India: Lessons From The Do Kadam Programme, K.G. Santhya, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

A key challenge underlying the gap between policy and program commitments in India and the reality of women’s lives is the dearth of evidence on what works and what does not work to change notions of masculinity and femininity, reverse norms at the community level that condone marital violence, and reduce women’s experience of intimate partner violence. The Do Kadam Barabari Ki Ore (Two Steps Towards Equality) program aimed to fill this evidence gap. Do Kadam was implemented by the Population Council, the Centre for Catalyzing Change, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, with support from the …

Characteristics Of Married Adolescent Girls In Egypt [Arabic], Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, May Gadallah, Doaa Oraby

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Despite increases in the average age at marriage in Egypt, and laws mandating minimum marriage age, early marriage remains an issue, particularly in rural areas of the country where up to 33 percent of women marry before the age of 18. This brief describes characteristics of married adolescent girls, including health implications of early marriage on pregnancy and childbirth, risk of dangerous complications, and increased exposure to domestic violence.

Feasibility Of Screening And Referring Women Experiencing Marital Violence By Engaging Frontline Workers: Evidence From Rural Bihar, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, K.G. Santhya, Santosh Kumar Singh, A.J. Francis Zavier, Neelanjana Pandey, Rajib Acharya, Komal Saxena, Aparajita Gogoi, Madhu Joshi, Sandeep Ojha

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Population Council, together with partners, the Centre for Catalyzing Change, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, with support from UKaid, implemented the Do Kadam Barabari Ki Ore (Two Steps Towards Equality) project in rural areas of Patna district in Bihar, India. The project engaged frontline workers (FLWs) to screen women for their experience of marital violence, inform them about their options in case of such an experience, and provide basic counseling and referral to women reporting the experience. Overall, the findings from the implementation of the Do Kadam program have been encouraging. They suggest that interactions …