Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons^™

Growing Up In Rural India: An Exploration Into The Lives Of Younger And Older Adolescents In Madhya Pradesh And Uttar Pradesh, K.G. Santhya, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, Iram Saeed, Archana Sarkar

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This technical report describes the situation of adolescents according to a baseline assessment conducted in selected villages in India. The objectives of the assessment were to explore the attitudes, practices, and behaviors of adolescent girls, their adolescent brothers and if married, their husbands, with regard to sexual and reproductive matters, including HIV; their perspectives on adolescent girls’ and boys’ vulnerability to HIV and ways in which it can be mitigated; and the perspectives of parents and other critical adults in the community on the vulnerability of adolescent girls and boys to HIV. Results will be used to: (1) enhance adolescent …

Financial Inclusion Of Female Garment Workers, Sigma Ainul, Md. Irfan Hossain, Sajeda Amin, Ubaidur Rob

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Since the 1980s rapid growth in the manufacturing of ready-made garments for export has created new opportunities for women industrial workers in Bangladesh. This study explores ways of improving the financial capabilities of these young, inexperienced wage earners through a targeted program of financial education. It also aims to identify scalable financing models that can be replicated to increase the opportunities of garment workers. The project culminated in a workshop to share results from the research study and to elicit discussions and recommendations based on the findings of the study. Recommendations include a preference for in-factory training in peri-urban areas, …

Evaluation Of Filles Eveillees ("Girls Awakened"): A Pilot Program For Migrant Adolescent Girls In Domestic Service, Sarah Engebretsen

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Filles Éveillées (Girls Awakened) program was designed to increase social networks and skill building among migrant adolescent girls in domestic service in urban Burkina Faso. The program was piloted over two cycles: 2011–2012 in Bobo Dioulasso, and 2012–2013 in Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso. According to this evaluation report, process evaluation was conducted between the two cycles to assess program effectiveness and suggest improvements for program structure, implementation, and content before launching the second cohort. Changes resulting from this process evaluation included simplifying the sexual and reproductive health program content; reordering the modules and introducing financial capabilities earlier so that …

The Ishraq Program For Out-Of-School Girls: From Pilot To Scale-Up, Mona Selim, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Khaled El Sayed, Asmaa Elbadawy, Heba El Kalaawy

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

In response to the needs of adolescent girls in Egypt for improved schooling, health, and livelihood prospects, Ishraq (sunrise)—a multidimensional program for 12–15-year-old out-of-school girls—was launched in 2001 by the Population Council in collaboration with CEDPA, Save the Children, Caritas, and local nongovernmental organizations. The program combined traditional tested program elements (literacy, life skills, nutrition) with more innovative ones (sports, financial education). It focused on building a multilayered platform to support and institutionalize the program by educating and mobilizing communities around issues of importance to adolescent girls; forging partnerships between international NGOs, government institutions, and local NGOs; and building capacities …

Girls On The Move: Adolescent Girls & Migration In The Developing World, Miriam Temin, Mark R. Montgomery, Sarah Engebretsen, Kathryn M. Barker

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Adolescent girls in developing countries are migrating to urban areas in ever greater numbers. While migration can be risky, for the majority of girls, migration can increase opportunities and economic stability and provide them with the autonomy to make decisions about their lives. Preventing the worst outcomes and helping girls succeed are essential to unlocking the benefits of migration. When migrant girls can take advantage of the benefits, they can be a powerful force for change in the developing world—improving lives and reducing poverty in their communities and countries. This Girls Count report examines the social and economic determinants of …

The Adolescent Girls Vulnerability Index: Guiding Strategic Investment In Uganda, Sajeda Amin, Karen Austrian, Michelle Chau, Kimberly Glazer, Eric P. Green, David Stewart, Marie Stoner

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Adolescence (from the ages of 10 to 19 years) is a critical stage of human development during which children experience rapid social, physical, psychological, and emotional changes on the path from childhood to adulthood. The decisions that are made during this period of life affect not only the individual well-being of young people, but also the well-being of the entire society. The Adolescent Girls Multilevel Vulnerability Index (AGI) was developed based on a growing recognition of the need to channel resources to vital—yet highly vulnerable and vastly underserved—populations of adolescent girls in Uganda specifically, and the East and Southern Africa …

Étude De Suivi Des Adolescentes Migrantes Employées De Maison Ayant Participé À La Première Cohorte Du Programme Filles Éveillées, Sarah Engebretsen

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

La migration circulaire (du milieu rural au milieu urbain et retour), est courante parmi les adolescents et adolescentes d'Afrique occidentale, la principale motivation étant la quête de débouchés économiques, y compris le travail domestique. Les données d’efficacité programmatique disponibles s’interrompent généralement au moment de la conclusion des programmes, sans suivi des adolescents à plus longue échéance. Cette étude suit un sous-échantillon d'adolescentes migrantes employées de maison au Burkina Faso après leur participation à la première cohorte du programme pilote Filles Éveillées. Ce programme a été conçu pour offrir aux filles migrantes employées de maison l’occasion de renforcer leurs réseaux sociaux …

Breaking The Silence: Learning About Youth Sexual And Reproductive Health In Egypt [Arabic], Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Sally Saher, Nora El Nawawi

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This collection of research (supported by the Ford Foundation office in Cairo) documents the Population Council’s efforts to build the capacity of young Egyptian researchers to study youth sexual and reproductive health. Understanding the needs of young Egyptians, including their sexual and reproductive health needs, is crucial for developing policies and programs that can help bring about desired changes and improve their health and well-being. Young people must be given accurate information and access to services to protect their sexual and reproductive health and to prepare them for taking on family responsibilities as they get older. This report sets the …

Youth Perspectives On Entrepreneurship In Egypt: Barriers To Entrepreneurship As A Means To Combat Youth Unemployment, Maia Sieverding

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This brief examines a range of factors that Egyptian youth perceive to be barriers to starting their own business, including high risk, limited access to finance, complexity of micro-credit schemes, lack of business and marketing training, and the need for connections in order to succeed. According to results from the Survey of Young People in Egypt, these factors combine to create the view among many youth that entrepreneurship is not a viable means of labor-market entry. Rather, youth see entrepreneurship as either a supplemental income-generating activity while also having a “regular” job, or as a later-life employment option once they …

Who Is Covered And Who Under-Reports: An Empirical Analysis Of Access To Social Insurance On The Egyptian Labor Market, Rania Roushdy, Irene Selwaness

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This working paper investigates the dynamics and determinants of having access to social insurance coverage on the Egyptian labor market among wage and non-wage workers. The results show that men, older, married, better educated, and white collar highly skilled workers are more likely to have social insurance coverage. Access to social insurance is more likely to exist in the public sector and in large private enterprises. Furthermore, acquiring social insurance coverage in the private wage work sector does not often come at first entry; but it takes some time to gain such access. In contrast, experience is not important for …

The Reproductive Health Of Young People In Egypt, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Noha Roushdy, Maia Sieverding

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This Population Council brief presents results from the Survey of Young People in Egypt (SYPE) on reproductive health (RH). The SYPE results underscore the need for: the assessment of state and civil society initiatives to transmit RH information; a national, comprehensive, age-appropriate reproductive health module to be integrated into the educational program; a national campaign on HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections that targets young people of reproductive age; the integration of female circumcision into a broader approach to youth reproductive health and bodily rights; specialized reproductive health services for married adolescent girls; and further research on sexuality and reproductive …

Challenges Facing The Egyptian Education System: Access, Quality, And Inequality [Arabic], Caroline Krafft

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This brief analyzes and summarizes young people's responses to the 2009 Survey of Young People in Egypt (SYPE) to identify the greatest challenges facing the Egyptian educational system, focusing specifically on primary through secondary schooling. Results show that access to school has improved, but some youth, especially females in rural Upper Egypt, remain outside the school system and are increasingly marginalized. The Egyptian school system is delivering low-quality education that is irrelevant to the labor market and has problems with repetition, absenteeism, and drop out which reduce the efficiency of the education system. Unequal distribution of resources in the education …

Youth Perspectives On Entrepreneurship In Egypt: Barriers To Entrepreneurship As A Means To Combat Youth Unemployment [Arabic], Maia Sieverding

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This brief examines a range of factors that Egyptian youth perceive to be barriers to starting their own business, including high risk, limited access to finance, complexity of micro-credit schemes, lack of business and marketing training, and the need for connections in order to succeed. According to results from the Survey of Young People in Egypt, these factors combine to create the view among many youth that entrepreneurship is not a viable means of labor-market entry. Rather, youth see entrepreneurship as either a supplemental income-generating activity while also having a “regular” job, or as a later-life employment option once they …

A Life Course Perspective On Social Protection Among The Working Poor Of Egypt, Maia Sieverding

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This paper employs a generational comparison to examine how increasing labor market informality has affected how poor households in Egypt gain access to and rely on social protection schemes. The results indicate that among the generation of Egyptians approaching retirement, the expansion of public employment and a policy allowing easy access to survivors’ benefits among female dependents served as important means of increasing social insurance coverage. However, many young households do not have even one member enrolled in the public pension system. Labor market instability and informality have also lowered the perceived value of social protection among this generation. The …

Social Protection In Egypt: A Policy Overview, Maia Sieverding, Irene Selwaness

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The need to address the shortcomings of Egypt’s current social protection system as part of a broader process of developing a new social contract between the Egyptian government and its citizens has been noted for a number of years. With a new government recently put in place, Egypt is now at a potential turning point in terms of implementing unfinished reforms to the system or proposing alternative ones. The aim of this paper is therefore to provide an overview and assessment of current public social protection mechanisms and suggest directions for new policy measures. The social and health insurance systems …

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 …

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 …

Baseline And Endline Findings Of Filles Eveillées ('Girls Awakened'): A Pilot Program For Migrant Adolescent Girls In Domestic Service. Cohort 1 (2011–2012), Bobo-Dioulasso, Sarah Engebretsen

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Burkina Faso has the tenth youngest population in the world, with 45 percent of the population below the age of 15. 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. On their own, girls are physically and economically vulnerable and many are at heightened risk for gender-based violence. The Population Council conducted formative research in 2010 to better understand the situation of migrant adolescent girls in domestic service in urban Burkina Faso, and subsequently designed a safe spaces intervention. The Filles Éveillées (“Girls …

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, …

Observations Initiales Et Finales De Filles Eveillées : Programme Pilote De Renforcement Des Compétences Des Adolescentes Migrantes Employées De Maison. Cohorte 1 (2011–2012), Bobo-Dioulasso, Sarah Engebretsen

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Le Burkina Faso abrite la dixième population la plus jeune du monde, avec 45% de la population de moins de 15 ans. Les jeunes au Burkina Faso, en particulier les adolescentes, ont peu d'opportunités économiques, en particulier dans les zones rurales. Cela alimente la migration vers les milieux urbaines à la recherche de travail. Seules, les filles sont physiquement et économiquement vulnérables et beaucoup courent un risque élevé de violence sexiste. Le Population Council a mené une recherche formative en 2010 dans le but de mieux comprendre la situation des adolescentes migrantes employées de maison au Burkina Faso urbain, et …

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 …

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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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.

Informality And Labor Market Dynamics During Economic Downturns: Evidence From Egypt, Rania Roushdy, May Gadallah

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This working paper investigates the evolution of the Egyptian labor market during the world financial crisis period. There has been a mild decline in unemployment, combined with a slight increase in both labor force participation and employment to population ratio. Some subgroups of workers have been more vulnerable than others during the crisis period. The results of this paper concur with the historical experience, which suggests that young, old, unskilled and female workers are more likely to bear the brunt of an economic downturn.

The Sexual And Reproductive Health And Rights Of Young People In India: A Review Of The Situation, K.G. Santhya, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This paper summarizes the sexual and reproductive health situation of young people in India, sheds light on those sub-populations of young people who are most vulnerable to adverse sexual and reproductive outcomes, and assesses the barriers that compromise the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people at the individual and family levels, as well as at the health system level.

Filles Eveillées : Programme Pilote Pour Adolescentes Migrantes Employées De Maison Au Burkina Faso Urbain, Sarah Engebretsen, Gisele Kaboré, Leah Jarvis

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Les jeunes Burkinabè n’ont guère de débouchés économiques, en particulier dans les milieux ruraux. En 2010, le Population Council a mené une recherche formative dans le but de mieux comprendre la situation des adolescentes migrantes employées de maison au Burkina Faso urbain. L’étude révèle qu’arrivées à la ville, ces filles vivent généralement chez leurs employeurs et travaillent de longues journées laborieuses. Il leur reste très peu de temps pour aller à l’école, développer des réseaux sociaux et acquérir les compétences nécessaires à la vie adulte. Il s’avère du reste que les programmes destinés à cette population interviennent en majorité après …

Injectable Contraceptives: Perspectives And Experiences Of Women And Health Care Providers In India, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy, A.J. Francis Zavier

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This report is the result of a study that aimed to shed light on the feasibility and acceptability of making injectable contraceptives more widely available to women in India. The study focused on injectable contraceptive users, new method adopters, and healthcare providers drawn from the facilities of a range of reproductive health. Healthcare providers were, for the most part, in favor of offering injectable contraceptives, however, they argued strongly for certain prerequisites, such as comprehensive and sensitive counseling and effective follow-up. Findings further suggest that there is a demand for injectable contraceptives among women, and that both women and healthcare …

Increasing Opportunities To Delay Marriage And Promote Schooling: Results From A Baseline Survey In Rural Tanzania, Eunice N. Muthengi, Annabel Erulkar

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This research brief describes girls' experience of early marriage, education, and sexual behavior in the Tabora region of Tanzania. Research shows that a considerable proportion of girls married early, have only limited discussions on health issues with their spouses, experience intimate partner violence, and have high unmet need for family planning. Tabora Development Foundation Trust, in partnership with the Population Council, is implementing strategies—including community awareness, support to get girls back into school and keep them there, and conditional transfers—to increase marriage age in the rural Tabora region. The goal is to identify effective, sustainable, and cost-effective approaches to increase …

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.

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 …