Digital Commons Network^™

Population, Environmental Risks, And The Climate Crisis (Percc), Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

In 2016, the Population Council began to develop evidence on how to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable populations to adapt to environmental risks and the effects of extreme climate change. In 2018, the Council expanded this work with the launch of the Population, Environmental Risks, and the Climate Crisis (PERCC) research initiative—which deepens the its mission with a new institutional commitment to improving understanding of the intersection of population and climate sciences. The PERCC initiative generates rigorous research to better understand how climate and the environment impact people, and how people, in turn, impact the climate and their environment. Evidence …

Effectiveness, Safety, And Acceptability Of Medical Abortion At Home Vs. In The Clinic: An Updated Systematic Review In Response To Covid-19, Katherine Gambir, Camille Garnsey, Kelly Ann Necastro, Thoai Ngo

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This document describes the protocol for an updated systematic review of the evidence comparing medical abortion practiced at home and in clinics in terms of effectiveness, safety and acceptability. We are updating Ngo et al.’s 2011 review given the importance of access to homemedication abortion during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will conduct a systematic search for randomized controlled trials and prospective cohort studies comparing home-based and clinic-based medical abortion. Successful abortion is the main outcome of interest. Side-effects, complications, and acceptability are secondary outcomes. Risk Ratios (RRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) will be calculated. Estimates will be pooled …

Kennesaw State University English Majors At Work: Careers In Unexpected Places Description Of The Problem, Pearl Harris

Master of Arts in Professional Writing Capstones

This thesis examines the careers of three graduates of Kennesaw State University’s Bachelor of Arts in English program. Through a semi-structured interview process which relied on the memory of participants, information was gained about skills employers sought for specific positions, skills interview participants utilized in those positions, and skills participants learned in the Bachelor of Arts in English program at Kennesaw State University. The goal of the study was to learn and connect the skills and abilities of the English majors to their job titles and responsibilities.

More Than Just Wicked: The Tales Of Female Criminals In 17th- Century London, Savannah Resendes

Honors Program Theses and Projects

In 17th-century London, where women were bound to strict social rules and regulations, those who break free from these strict rules are often viewed with suspicion. Some may even call these women wicked as they stray away from what is expected of them. There was also surge of women committing crimes in this time period, which inspired literature to follow the same trend. Female criminals were often represented as sinful and wicked monsters of the time, showing people exactly what not to do if they want to fit in. However, in several specific literary texts set in 17th-century England these …

Alumni Readings From ‘Welcome To The Neighborhood,’ May 14, Ohio University College Of Arts & Sciences

All Forum Articles

No abstract provided.

Gender And Power Metrics Database: A Living Database Of Scales That Have Been Used To Measure Constructs Of Gender, Agency, Power, And Control, Evidence Project

Reproductive Health

The Evidence Project created a searchable database of gender- and power-related scales used in social, health, and behavioral science research. Indicators in the database have been used in in family planning (FP), reproductive health (RH), intimate partner violence (IPV), and HIV research. This brief provides an overview of the development and content of the database.

Covid-19-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Among Adolescent Girls In Bangladesh: Concept Note, Sajeda Amin

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Population Council COVID-19 study team is implementing rapid phone-based surveys of a representative sample of girls living in the catchment area of two skills-building programs. The two programs (one with UNFPA, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs; and the second with UNICEF and the Ministry of Education/DSHE) are affiliated with the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage. The overall goal of the programs is to prevent child marriage. The rapid assessment will explore how the pandemic and associated lockdown is changing girls' experience of schooling, time use, care responsibilities and household scarcity as mediating …

Self, Emily Aguayo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This is a translation of Dr. Erika Almenara’s complete published collection of poetry. The original publications span a period of over twelve years of work, with books published in 2006, 2008, and 2018. The first book of poetry in this series of translations, Reino Cerrado (Closed Kingdom), explores the profound contemplations of life and how to turn those thoughts into words and put them on paper. We see images of nature, hear faint religious overtones, and feel the distress of a woman searching for a healthy relationship, and having little luck. Para evitar los rastros (To Avoid All Traces), the …

Guatemala Indigenous Municipalities: Covid-19 Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This presentation recounts findings on COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and practices in Guatemala’s indigenous municipalities. A total of 144 phone-based key informant interviews were conducted from April 14–18, 2020, in ten municipalities. Key informants included indigenous women, heads of households, teachers, community leaders, municipal officers, and frontline health workers. Recommendations include: 1) intensifying government efforts to deliver accurate information on the prevention of COVID-19 to indigenous communities with a focus on developing a COVID-19 roadmap for community action after the first case is identified in a given municipality, and considering alternatives for self-isolation for the poorest households; 2) conveying tailored, actionable …

Guatemala: Covid-19 Knowledge, Attitudes And Practices—Perspectives From 144 Key Informants In 10 Indigenous Municipalities, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

NOTE: This brief represents research in progress. Content has not been peer reviewed, and this version may be updated with additional analyses in subsequent publications.

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The Population Council has a longstanding partnership with indigenous communities through the Abriendo Oportunidades program. Our experience working in indigenous settings has allowed us to witness a lack of indigenous inclusion in government activities. To better understand indigenous knowledge, perspectives, and needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Guatemala, we conducted 144 key informant interviews using mobile phones in ten municipalities from April 14–18, 2020. This brief describes highlights of the key informant interviews; …

Bangladesh: Covid-19 Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices And Needs, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

No abstract provided.

From Anecdotes To Data: Leveraging Our Assessment Toolkit To Determine How A New Curriculum Measures Up, Rachel Wishkoski, Alex J. Sundt, Katie Strand, Deanna Allred

Library Faculty & Staff Presentations

This presentation shared the design and results of a mixed-methods assessment of a new library curriculum for ENGL 2010, the required English Composition course at Utah State University. Piloted with two sections of the course in fall semester 2019, this new three-session curriculum was grounded in case-based problem-based learning (CBPBL), a specific type of problem-based learning (PBL) in which students work together to solve real life scenarios and immediately apply their skills to a relevant and complex problem. Student teams used case studies to practice source evaluation, topic development, and synthesis of research in writing. Multiple assessment methods afforded us …

The Roadmap: Exploring T.S. Eliot’S The Waste Land With World War One Literature, Matthew Bennett

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Through careful analysis paired with poetry, war memoirs, and novels from the same period, one can break down T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land to recognize the impact of The Great War on the world's modern memory while pondering the possibility of memory as a tool to overcome trauma.

On Lawyers And Copy Editors, Jonathan I. Tietz

Michigan Law Review

Review of Benjamin Dreyer's Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style.

A Review Of The Population Council Community Of Practice’S Theory Of Change: Why Investments In Girls Should Be Prioritized In Human Security, Economic, And Social Inclusion Initiatives—Slide Deck, Judith Bruce, Sophie Soares

Adolescents and Young People

No abstract provided.

Adapting The Asset Exercise For Humanitarian Contexts, Women's Refugee Commission, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

As a guiding program theory, asset-building centers on the idea that skills, knowledge, relationships, and concrete resources can all constitute assets, or “stores of value,” that girls can, in turn, mobilize to make healthy choices, seek support, navigate institutions, and access entitlements. This approach is inherently multisectoral, rooted in a commitment to prioritize understanding of and respond to the diversity of girls’ needs, capacities, and experiences. The Asset Exercise operationalizes the concept of “asset-building” into concrete terms. The exercise consists of a deck of 100 “asset cards,” and eight “age cards.” Asset cards reflect both intrinsic qualities, concrete knowledge, and …

Fertility Preferences And Behaviors Among Younger Cohorts In Egypt: Recent Trends, Correlates, And Prospects For Change, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Shadia Attia, Nourhan Bader, Rania Roushdy, Shatha El-Nakib, Doaa Oraby

Reproductive Health

After years of steady decline, Egypt experienced an increase in the total fertility rate (TFR) from 3.0 births per woman in 2008 to 3.5 in 2014, which was coupled with an increase in desired family size among young people. To better understand this increase in fertility as well as prospects for change, the Evidence Project/Population Council conducted secondary analyses of quantitative data from the Egypt Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) and the Survey of Young People in Egypt (SYPE) and collected qualitative data from young people and key informants. This report examines the changes in fertility preferences and behaviors among …

Rapid Review Of Community Engagement And Social Mobilization Strategies For Covid-19 Response: Study Description, Sarah Blake, Thoai Ngo

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This project is a rapid review of evidence on interventions intended to mobilize community-level action to control infectious disease outbreaks in low resource and humanitarian contexts. The primary aims are to provide a critical analysis of current evidence on community engagement in preparing for or responding to infectious disease outbreaks and other emergencies; and to identify approaches and practices that can inform efforts to address COVID-19-related risks in low resource settings. In addition to documenting lessons and potential good practices from past crises, we will identify critical gaps in current evidence.

Adaptations In Crisis: Stress Testing Our Intentional Design Model For Girls’ Programs—Slide Deck, Annabel Erulkar, Rima Mourtada, Sajeda Amin, Alexandra Machado, Katia Almeida, Angel Del Valle, Kelly Hallman

Adolescents and Young People

Slide deck for webinar hosted by the Population Council's Community of Practice in April 2020.

Patent: Method Of Providing Birth Control, George W. Creasy, Ruth Merkatz

Formulation/Product Development

United States Patent 10,632,066 B1

Reclaiming Matrilineal Traditions And Building Girl Societies In Indigenous Montana, Kelly Hallman, Eva Roca, Stephanie Martinez

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

In March 2019, the Indigenous Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment Network (IMAGEN) co-hosted a workshop with the Little Shell Band of Chippewa Indians in Great Falls, Montana. IMAGEN is a native-female designed, led, and controlled network that adapts, builds, and shares innovative skills and tools to address the needs of adolescent girls. Building off of decades of programmatic research and lessons learned, IMAGEN brings locally-led indigenous organizations together to propose innovative ways to reclaim female social infrastructure and matrilineal traditions. Through this framework, girl-centered programs adapted to the local context are built to impart important skills, safe havens, and mentor networks to …

Critical Needs During Covid-19 Lockdown: Job, Food, Cash, Medicines—Who Needs What?, Population Council Institute

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Government of India’s 40-day national lockdown was a necessary step toward protecting people from getting the COVID-19 infection and breaking the chain of viral transmission. However, a strict lockdown brings a halt to economic activities, triggering loss in livelihood and bringing some hardships to the population. Often, these effects are disproportionate and the most marginalized feel the effects most. The Population Council Institute's telephone survey with participants in longitudinal studies has helped to understand the critical needs of households and provided supportive data for the Government of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. About two-thirds reported that either they themselves or …

The Community Health System In The Drc: An Overview, Frontline Health Project

Reproductive Health

This brief provides an overview of the community health system in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The community health system is decentralized and operates across five levels: national, provincial, health zone, health area, and community. Various policy documents guide DRC’s community health system, including The National Health Development Plan 2016–2020. Relais communautaire (RECOs) are the main cadre of community health workers operating in the DRC. They are volunteers who provide a minimum package of reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health services, including the provision of family planning; integrated community case management for malaria, diarrhea, and respiratory diseases; nutrition …

The Community Health System In Mali: An Overview, Frontline Health Project

Reproductive Health

This brief provides an overview of the community health system in Mali. The system is decentralized and operates across five levels: national, regional, district, health area, and community. It relies on two cadres of community health workers to deliver health-care services, primarily to rural populations: agents de santé communautaire (ASCs) and relais communautaire. The National Implementation Guide for Essential Community Health Care is the main document that outlines responsibilities of community health providers and processes for organization, management, and delivery of health services. Although Mali’s maternal, child (under five years), and infant mortality rates have fallen over the past two …

Measurement Of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Status: Perspectives From Healthcare Providers, Policymakers, Programme Implementers, And Researchers, Dennis Matanda

Reproductive Health

Among practicing communities, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a highly sensitive and emotionally charged issue, and open discussion is often considered taboo. Not only may it be difficult to motivate people to discuss the topic, but the validity of their responses may be questionable. These factors make research on FGM/C challenging and hence the need for careful consideration of research methodologies. There is a need for proper documentation of the strengths and limitations of the various data-collection methodologies to assist in generating reliable data for programmatic efforts toward FGM/C abandonment. This working paper describes a study undertaken to highlight methodological …

When And How Does Law Effectively Reduce The Practice Of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting?, Josephine Wouango, Susan L. Ostermann, Daniel Mwanga

Reproductive Health

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is recognized globally as carrying risks to both the physical and psychological health of girls and women and is widely considered a violation of human rights. An estimated 200 million girls and women in 30 countries have undergone FGM/C and as many as 30 million girls younger than 15 years of age are at risk. A common policy response to FGM/C is to call for the enactment and enforcement of criminal prohibitions on the practice. Yet, compliance with laws is complex: it can be motivated and undercut by moral, social, religious, and incentive-based factors. The study …

Covid-19-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Among Adolescents And Young People In Bihar And Uttar Pradesh, India: Study Description, Rajib Acharya, Mukta Gundi, Thoai Ngo, Neelanjana Pandey, Sangram Kishor Patel, Jessie Pinchoff, Shilpi Rampal, Niranjan Saggurti, K.G. Santhya, Corinne White, A.J. Francis Zavier

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

To control the spread of COVID-19 in India and to aid the efforts of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), the Population Council and other non-governmental organizations are conducting research to assess residents’ ability to follow sanitation and social distancing precautions under a countrywide lockdown. The Population Council COVID-19 study team is implementing rapid phone-based surveys to collect information on knowledge, attitudes and practices, as well as needs, among 2,041 young people (ages 19-23 years) and/or an adult household member, sampled from an existing prospective cohort study with a total sample size of 20,574 in Bihar (n=10,433) and …

Nairobi Informal Settlements: Covid-19 Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices And Needs—Round 2, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

To control the spread of coronavirus, the Kenyan Ministry of Health COVID-19 Taskforce has implemented initial prevention and mitigation measures. Of concern are the densely overcrowded, poor urban slums where sanitation and social distancing measures are near impossible. COVID-19 would spread rapidly and be devastating under these conditions. To inform the Taskforce strategy, the Population Council COVID-19 study team utilizes rapid phone-based surveys to collection information on knowledge, attitudes and practices among ~2,000 heads of household sampled from existing prospective cohort studies across five Nairobi urban slums. Iterations of the survey will be conducted every 1-2 weeks. Baseline findings on …

Kenya: Covid-19 Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices And Needs—Responses From Second Round Of Data Collection In Five Nairobi Informal Settlements (Kibera, Huruma, Kariobangi, Dandora, Mathare), Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

To control the spread of coronavirus, the Kenyan Ministry of Health COVID-19 Taskforce has implemented initial prevention and mitigation measures. Of concern are the densely overcrowded, poor urban slums where sanitation and social distancing measures are near impossible. COVID-19 would spread rapidly and be devastating under these conditions. To inform the Taskforce strategy, the Population Council COVID-19 study team utilizes rapid phone-based surveys to collection information on knowledge, attitudes and practices among ~2,000 heads of household sampled from existing prospective cohort studies across five Nairobi urban slums. Iterations of the survey will be conducted every 1-2 weeks. Baseline findings on …

Burnier, Zionkowski Among Four University Professors Awardees, Ohio University College Of Arts & Sciences

All Forum Articles

No abstract provided.