Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons^™

Nisitu (Nisikilize Tujengane): Listen To Me, Let’S Grow Together, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Evidence from several studies, including in Kenya, supports the idea that empowerment and asset-building interventions targeting multiple levels of the socio-ecological environment can improve education, health, economic and social capital, gender-equitable attitudes, and violence outcomes for girls. This brief describes efforts by researchers to test the effects of engaging boys and men alongside girl-centered programming to improve the lives of adolescent girls. In 2017, the Population Council and partners undertook formative research to understand from girls: 1) what are the most influential types of males in their lives; 2) how and what they influence; and 3) what behavior changes among …

Adolescent Girls' Voices On Enhancing Their Own Productivity In Pakistan, Iram Kamran, Tahira Parveen, Maqsood Sadiq, Rehan M. Niazi

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This study was conducted in the Punjab province of Pakistan to examine the lives, aspirations, and perspectives of the largely invisible and marginalized group of older adolescent girls (ages 15–19 years) who are “not in education, employment for pay or profit, nor in marriage” (“NEEM”). The study seeks to identify the reasons for the exclusion of the NEEM girls from education and participation in paid work; explore opportunities and avenues for changing these girls’ existing opportunity structures; and probe the gender norms and behaviors underlying their marginalization to obtain insights into what it would take to change their situation.

Accelerating Action To End Child Marriage In Bangladesh, Sajeda Amin, Jyotirmoy Saha, Masuma Billah, Nargis Sultana, Eashita Haque, Surojit Kundu

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Despite considerable social and economic progress in Bangladesh, child marriage remains the norm. The Population Council is partnering with UNFPA and the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs to empower girls with gender, life, and livelihood skills, and to engage communities to address fundamental normative drivers of child marriage. The objective of the baseline study is to generate a set of indicators against which change can be measured, and to provide specific information about the status of adolescents in the study area in ways that can guide intervention strategies and inform programs and policies. Baseline findings will provide a benchmark …

Las Uniones Infantiles Forzadas: De La Reforma Legal A La Disrupción Social—Investigación Formativa En Cinco Comunidades En Chisec Alta Verapaz, Paola Broll, Cecilia Garcés

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

La evidencia ha demostrado que el matrimonio y las uniones infantiles forzadas (M/UIF) son nocivos a los derechos y el desarrollo de las niñas y adolescentes. También se ha demostrado que aumentar la edad mínima del matrimonio no es suficiente para erradicar este fenómeno que subyace en la práctica de las instituciones sociales a nivel comunitario. Se ha realizada esta investigación en el momento en que se aprobó la modificación al Código Civil, seguido de una modificación para aumentar la edad mínima para el matrimonio en Guatemala, con el propósito de identificar las normas, prácticas, y actitudes vigentes en la …

What Works To Improve Outcomes For Kenya's Adolescent Girls?, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This fact sheet outlines results from the Adolescent Girls Initiative–Kenya, a study that evaluates the long-term impact of a multi-sectoral intervention targeted at adolescent girls aged 11 to 15 years from Kibera and rural Wajir. The intervention consists of four different components: a community-based violence-prevention program, an education conditional cash transfer (CCT), health-focused girls' empowerment clubs, and wealth creation for girls via financial education and savings. Results indicate that the approach was a cost-effective way to create positive change across a range of well-being factors for young adolescent girls, including education, health, and economic outcomes.

Creating A Culture Of Evidence Use: Using An Innovative Knowledge Translation Platform To Inform Hiv/Aids Programming For Women And Girls, Jill Gay, Melanie Croce-Galis, Karen Hardee, Amelia Peltz

Reproductive Health

Given that moving evidence from a study to policy, programs, and practice can often take a decade or more, what is the best way to get evidence into the hands of those developing policies and programs to speed its use? Enhancing the use of evidence in policies and programs through an innovative web-based knowledge platform, What Works for Women: Evidence for HIV/AIDS Interventions, resulted in major changes in National Strategic HIV Plans plus Concept Notes submitted to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in 14 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. This paper documents how components …

Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (Agep): Evaluation—Round 4 Update, Karen Austrian, Paul C. Hewett, Erica Soler-Hampejsek, Jean Digitale

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

To assess the impact of the Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (AGEP) on mediating and longer-term demographic, reproductive, and health outcomes, Population Council researchers designed and implemented a longitudinal, cluster randomized controlled trial across all program areas. A baseline survey was conducted in 2013 prior to program implementation and data have been collected annually. A third round of data collection in 2015 produced the midline findings, measuring the program effect immediately at the end of AGEP. Details of the midterm results were published in a full technical report, executive summary, and brief. The focus of this brief is to provide an …

Adolescent Girls Initiative-Kenya: Health And Life Skills Audio Training Script, Wajir, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Adolescent Girls Initiative project-Kenya (AGI-K) helps young, vulnerable adolescent girls build their social, health, and economic assets. AGI-K tests combinations of interventions in health, violence prevention, wealth creation, and education to determine which package of interventions delivers the most impact and at what cost. The project was led by Population Council and implemented in two marginalized areas 1) Kiberain Nairobi and 2) Wajir County in Northeastern Kenya by Plan International and Save the Children, respectively. This scripted guide was designed to support the delivery of the health, life skills, and nutrition sessions in Wajir in response to challenges with …

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 …

Executive Summary—Understanding The Lives Of Adolescents And Young Adults (Udaya) In Bihar, India, K.G. Santhya, Rajib Acharya, Neelanjana Pandey, Santosh Kumar Singh, Shilpi Rampal, A.J. Francis Zavier, Ashish Kumar Gupta

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

A program of research titled, “Understanding the lives of adolescents and young adults (UDAYA) in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh,” implemented by the Population Council, aimed to understand the factors that determine healthy transitions from childhood to adolescence and adulthood. The goal of UDAYA is to establish the levels, patterns, and trends in the situation of younger (10–14) and older (15–19) adolescents and assess factors that influence the quality of transitions they make. The specific objectives of UDAYA are: 1) to explore the situation of adolescents, with a focus on assessing the extent to which both younger and older adolescents have …

Executive Summary—Understanding The Lives Of Adolescents And Young Adults (Udaya) In Bihar, India [Hindi], K.G. Santhya, Rajib Acharya, Neelanjana Pandey, Santosh Kumar Singh, Shilpi Rampal, A.J. Francis Zavier, Ashish Kumar Gupta

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

A program of research titled, “Understanding the lives of adolescents and young adults (UDAYA) in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh,” implemented by the Population Council, aimed to understand the factors that determine healthy transitions from childhood to adolescence and adulthood. The goal of UDAYA is to establish the levels, patterns, and trends in the situation of younger (10–14) and older (15–19) adolescents and assess factors that influence the quality of transitions they make. The specific objectives of UDAYA are: 1) to explore the situation of adolescents, with a focus on assessing the extent to which both younger and older adolescents have …

Girls Creating Opportunities For A Brighter Tomorrow: Integrated Curriculum Guide (8 To 17 Years Old)—Two-Year Cycle (Adapted For Belize), Cecilia Garcés, Paola Broll

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

In 2004, the Population Council in Guatemala launched the “Abriendo Oportunidades” (AO) Program with the purpose of supporting indigenous girls in reaching their maximum potential to overcome the cycle of poverty. The program compiled many valuable lessons, often from young mentors working directly with girls and adolescents. Constant dialogue among the Council’s team led to the current version of the curriculum guide. This is the third version of the AO curriculum guide, designed as a tool to foster reflection and dialogue, sisterhood, and critical thinking among adolescent girls. The guide is promoted as a valuable tool for programs seeking to …

More Than Brides Alliance (Mtba): Mariage N’Est Pas Un Jeu D’Enfat, Rapport De Référence Mali, Andrea J. Melnikas, Sajeda Amin, Sarah Engebretsen, Mouhamadou Gueye

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

L’Alliance « Plus qu’une épouse » vise à améliorer la vie des adolescentes et propose des interventions dans plusieurs domaines (la santé reproductive, l’éducation, les normes de genre et les moyens de subsistance, entre autres). Dans le cadre d’une évaluation des interventions visant à retarder l’âge du mariage, le Population Council a mené des enquêtes de référence sur les adolescentes dans les régions de Sikasso et Ségou au Mali. Les résultats suggèrent que des interventions sont nécessaires pour répondre aux vulnérabilités rencontrées par les filles qui vivent dans ces communautés. La collecte de données supplémentaires contribuera à examiner certains de …

More Than Brides Alliance (Mtba): Mariage N’Est Pas Un Jeu D’Enfat, Rapport De Référence Niger, Grace Saul, Andrea J. Melnikas, Sajeda Amin, Sarah Engebretsen, Aissa Diarra, Chaibou Saadou

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

L’Alliance « Plus qu’une épouse » vise à améliorer la vie des adolescentes et propose des interventions dans plusieurs domaines (la santé reproductive, l’éducation, les normes de genre et les moyens de subsistance, entre autres). Dans le cadre d’une évaluation des interventions visant à retarder l’âge du mariage, le Population Council a mené des enquêtes de référence sur les adolescentes dans des zones sélectionnées dans deux régions au Niger (Tillabéry et Maradi). Les objectifs de l’étude de référence étaient les suivants : 1) fournir un point de référence permettant de mesurer les changements découlant de l’intervention à mi-parcours et à …

More Than Brides Alliance: Baseline Report, Niger, Grace Saul, Andrea J. Melnikas, Sajeda Amin, Sarah Engebretsen, Aissa Diarra, Chaibou Saadou

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The More Than Brides Alliance (MTBA) seeks to improve the lives of adolescent girls and includes activities across multiple domains (reproductive health, education, gender norms, and livelihoods, to name a few). The Population Council conducted baseline surveys of adolescents in select areas of two regions in Niger (Tillaberi and Maradi) as part of an evaluation of MTBA interventions to delay marriage. The goals of the baseline study were to: 1) provide a benchmark against which changes resulting from the intervention may be measured at the midline and endline periods; 2) provide information about the current situation and context for adolescent …

School Related Violence, Sanitation Facilities At School, And Menstrual Hygiene Management: What Is The Evidence For Their Effect On School Attendance And Learning, And How Might Population Scientists Advance This Research Agenda?, Barbara Mensch

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

No abstract provided.

Indigenous Adolescent Girls' Empowerment Network (Imagen), Kelly Hallman, Stephanie Martinez

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Population Council has developed and tested a cache of tools—which can be modified by and for Native communities—for organizations seeking to more intentionally serve girls. The tools allow programs to systematically gauge within their own communities the barriers and opportunities that exist for Native adolescent girls. This realization and opportunity sparked the creation of the Indigenous Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment Network (IMAGEN). The Network was conceived as a means of bringing together Native American–serving organizations that have the enthusiasm and capacity to adopt, document, and share evidence from programs that build on Native girls’ innate talents, while addressing the multiple …

Adolescent Girls Initiative-Kenya: Financial Education Audio Training Script, Wajir, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Adolescent Girls Initiative project-Kenya (AGI-K) helps young, vulnerable adolescent girls build their social, health, and economic assets. AGI-K tests combinations of interventions in health, violence prevention, wealth creation, and education to determine which package of interventions delivers the most impact and at what cost. The project was led by the Population Council and implemented in two marginalized areas, Kibera in Nairobi and Wajir county in Northeastern Kenya, by Plan International and Save the Children, respectively. This scripted guide was designed to support the delivery of the financial education sessions in Wajir in response to challenges with mentor capacity in …

Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (Agep): Adapting The Safe Spaces Model In Rural Settings, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (AGEP) was implemented with over 10,000 vulnerable adolescent girls aged 10–19 between 2013 and 2016 in five rural and five urban sites in Zambia. Safe Spaces was the core program element in AGEP, and was adapted based on prior programs implemented mainly in urban and peri-urban areas in East and Southern Africa. Given the key differences in the living environments and demographic data for adolescent girls in urban as compared to rural areas in Zambia, one key programmatic learning question for AGEP was if the Safe Spaces model could be adapted and successfully implemented in …

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. …

Executive Summary: Understanding The Lives Of Adolescents And Young Adults (Udaya) In Uttar Pradesh, India (2015–16), K.G. Santhya, Rajib Acharya, Neelanjana Pandey, Ashish Kumar Gupta, Shilpi Rampal, Santosh Kumar Singh, A.J. Francis Zavier

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

A program of research titled, “Understanding the lives of adolescents and young adults (UDAYA) in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh,” implemented by the Population Council, aimed to understand the factors that determine healthy transitions from childhood to adolescence and adulthood. The goal of UDAYA is to establish the levels, patterns, and trends in the situation of younger (10–14) and older (15–19) adolescents and assess factors that influence the quality of transitions they make. The specific objectives of UDAYA are: 1) to explore the situation of adolescents, with a focus on assessing the extent to which both younger and older adolescents have …

More Than Brides Alliance: Baseline Report, India, Sharmistha Basu, Rajib Acharya, Andrea J. Melnikas, Sajeda Amin

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The More Than Brides Alliance seeks to improve the lives of adolescent girls and includes activities across multiple domains (reproductive health, education, gender norms, and livelihoods, to name a few). The Population Council conducted surveys of adolescent girls and young women aged 12–19 in nine districts in four states in India to examine girls’ experiences, including education, marriage and relationships, literacy and numeracy, livelihoods, and gender-equitable attitudes. The study found that few girls were currently involved in any programs, despite demonstrated vulnerabilities (e.g., more than half of the sample was currently out of school) suggesting that there is a clear …

Construyendo Activos Protectores En Niñas Adolescentes: Una Colección De Herramientas Para El Diseño De Programas, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Las niñas adolescentes se han convertido en una población clave para las iniciativas que promueven el empoderamiento, mejoras en salud y desarrollo en países de renta baja y media. Esta colección de herramientas se elaboró con el objetivo de proveer recursos a las organizaciones comprometidas con la expansión de sus programas, a modo que incluyan a los grupos y subpoblaciones de mujeres y niñas que han sido excluidas de la cobertura y participación comunitaria—como las niñas adolescentes que viven en los hogares y comunidades en mayores condiciones de pobreza, niñas adolescentes entre los 10 y 14 años que están fuera …

More Than Brides Alliance: Baseline Report, Malawi, Christine A. Kelly, Andrea J. Melnikas, Sajeda Amin, James Mkandawire, Hamza Daud

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The More Than Brides Alliance seeks to improve the lives of adolescent girls and includes activities across multiple domains (reproductive health, education, gender norms, and livelihoods, to name a few). The Population Council conducted baseline surveys of adolescents in select areas of two districts in Malawi as part of an evaluation of interventions to delay marriage. The goals of the baseline were to: 1) provide information about the current situation and context for adolescent girls in select areas in Malawi in order to inform the intervention; 2) provide a benchmark against which changes resulting from the intervention may be measured …

More Than Brides Alliance: Baseline Report, Mali, Andrea J. Melnikas, Sajeda Amin, Sarah Engebretsen, Mouhamadou Gueye

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The More Than Brides Alliance seeks to improve the lives of adolescent girls and includes activities across multiple domains (reproductive health, education, gender norms, and livelihoods, to name a few). The Population Council conducted baseline surveys of adolescents in select areas of two regions in Mali (Sikasso and Segou) as part of an evaluation of interventions to delay marriage. Findings suggest that girls in these communities have a demonstrated need for interventions to address their vulnerabilities. Additional data collection will help explore some of these topics in greater depth and provide a more nuanced understanding of the situation of adolescent …

Status Of Sexual And Reproductive Health And Rights In Zambia: Comprehensive Sexuality Education And Adolescents Sexual And Reproductive Health, Population Council

Reproductive Health

In 1994, the International Conference on Population and Development affirmed that sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are human rights. The Government of the Republic of Zambia has fully committed to fulfilling the SRHR of all people by ratifying 11 international instruments of law (seven global and four regional treaties). This brief is Part 2 of a three-part series entitled “Status of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Zambia,” reporting on progress, gaps, and existing challenges in SRHR. The brief shows that overall, based on the assessment framework and informed by desk reviews and consultative processes, Zambia is …

Using Data To Target And Scale-Up Girls' Support Programs And Child Marriage Prevention, The Evidence Project

Reproductive Health

Though child marriage is declining globally, it is estimated that over 100 million girls under age 18 will be married in the next decade. A 2012 review of child marriage interventions in developing countries found that the most effective approaches in delaying child marriage were those that offered incentives, such as conditional cash transfers or provision of school materials, and those that empower girls directly through interventions such as girls’ groups and training. The Berhane Hewan program in Ethiopia (meaning ‘Light for Eve’ in Amharic) was one of the earliest to test child marriage prevention interventions in sub-Saharan Africa. The …

Child Marriage In Zambia, Population Council

Reproductive Health

In 2015, following the 2013–14 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey, the Population Council and UNFPA conducted a study to establish the areas where child marriage is most likely to occur in Zambia. Findings reaffirm that child marriage is very high in Zambia and that child marriage affects more girls than boys. Protecting girls from child marriage is a national priority in protecting girls’ rights and achieving progress in national development. The brief recommends that government efforts be accelerated and effectively supported to reduce and eventually eradicate child marriage. Recommended actions include: harmonizing statutory laws and customary laws on marriage, engaging …

Abriendo Oportunidades Para Alcanzar Mi Plan De Vida: Programa De 5 Meses—14 A 18 Años, Cecilia Garcés, Paola Broll

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Esta es la guía curricular del programa Abriendo Oportunidades del Population Council de Guatemala. Este programa de cinco meses ayuda a las niñas a desarrollar pasos para lograr su plan de vida, en módulos sobre los temas siguientes: llevarse bien con otras mujeres; conocerse y valorarse a sí mismo; autoestima; derechos humanos; aprendiendo a ser mujer; la fertilidad y el embarazo; reconociendo el peligro; y la importancia del ahorro.

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This is the curriculum guide for the Abriendo Oportunidades program of the Population Council of Guatemala. This five-month program helps girls develop steps to achieve their life plan, in modules …

Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (Agep): Mid-Term Findings—Brief, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (AGEP) is a four-year effort to support more than 11,000 of the most vulnerable adolescent girls in Zambia. AGEP was led by the Population Council, in partnership with the Young Women’s Christian Association of Zambia, the National Savings and Credit Bank of Zambia, and the Government of Zambia. The program design was based on the asset-building framework which posits that if girls are able to build social, health, and economic assets in the short term, there will be longer-term dividends on health and education outcomes. This brief reports on midterm findings of the study which …