Family, Life Course, and Society Commons^™

Faith Leaders’ Guide To Adolescent Protection, Population Council, Zambia Interfaith Networking Group (Zingo), Faith Mother Bodies

Adolescents and Young People

No abstract provided.

Accelerating Adolescent Girls’ Education In West And Central Africa, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, Karen Austrian

Adolescents and Young People

This brief summarizes the evidence on gender inequality in education in West and Central Africa (WCA), particularly the GIRL Center’s priority countries. It explores attendance, progression, transition to secondary, and re-entry. This brief informs strategies that address persistent inequalities and promote transformative outcomes for adolescent girls in the region.

Transforming Sexual And Reproductive Health And Rights For Adolescent Girls In West And Central Africa, Mame Soukeye Mbaye, Sarah Engebretsen, Maty Dia, Karen Austrian

Adolescents and Young People

This brief summarizes the evidence on adolescent girls’ sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in West and Central Africa (WCA), particularly evidence from the GIRL Center’s priority countries. It explores social norms and structural barriers to adolescent girls’ SRHR, pregnancy, harmful practices, unmet need for contraception, service gaps, SRHR in conflict settings, and legal and policy barriers. The brief informs strategies and promising entry points that have the potential to transform SRHR outcomes for girls in the region.

Girl Center Special Feature: 2025 Impact Report, Population Council

Adolescents and Young People

This report highlights the impact, research, publications, events, and activities that the GIRL Center accomplished in 2025.

Adolescent Girls Initiative–Kenya: Testing For Scale—Recommendations Report, Karen Austrian, Eva Ireri Muluve, Ruth Nanjekho, John A. Maluccio, Erica Soler-Hampejsek

Adolescents and Young People

The Adolescent Girls Initiative-Kenya, a randomized trial implemented between 2015 and 2021, was designed to test the short- and longer-term effects of two-year multisectoral and multilevel “cash plus” programs for adolescent girls aged 11–14 years. It was implemented in two marginalized areas of Kenya: Kibera, an urban informal settlement in Nairobi, and Wajir, a pastoralist rural county. Results showed that a multisectoral approach was an effective way to create positive change across a range of well-being factors for young adolescent girls, including education, health, and economic outcomes. The program had long-term sustainable effects. Throughout the testing for scale phase, PC-Kenya …

Selam Medirashachin (Safe Arrival) Project: Addressing The Risk Of Trafficking, Violence, And Sexual Abuse Among Newly Arriving Migrant Girls In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Annabel Erulkar, Eyasu Hailu

Adolescents and Young People

Rates of urbanization in Ethiopia are significant and, increasingly, young females are among those who migrate from rural to urban areas. Previous research in Addis Ababa showed that, compared to boys and young men, young female migrants are more likely to migrate to cities without the accompaniment of immediate family members. and often move in with people with whom they have only loose affiliation or live on their own. Previous Population Council research on the experience of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) revealed that girls’ migration from rural to urban areas of the country may be perilous. This is …

Le Rôle Des Leaders De Groupes Dans Les Espaces Sûrs Et Les Clubs Des Maris/Futurs Maris, Population Council, Equimundo, Swedd

Adolescents and Young People

Série SWEDD: Guide de Bonnes Pratiques no. 6

Ce Guide fait partie d’une série qui documente d’une manière rétrospective le processus de mise en œuvre des interventions du projet SWEDD, et décrit les bonnes pratiques, les défis et les leçons apprises. Le projet “Autonomisation des Femmes et Dividende Démographique au Sahel” (SWEDD) a été lancé en novembre 2015 avec le soutien financier de la Banque mondiale, et l’appui technique du Fonds des Nations Unies pour la population (UNFPA) et de l’Organisation Ouest -Africaine pour la Santé (OOAS). Les recherches menant à ce Guide ont été dirigées par le Population …

Le Soutien À La Scolarisation Des Filles Et Leur Maintien À L’École, Population Council, Swedd

Adolescents and Young People

Série SWEDD: Guide de Bonnes Pratiques no. 2

Ce Guide fait partie d’une série qui documente d’une manière rétrospective le processus de mise en œuvre des interventions du projet SWEDD, et décrit les bonnes pratiques, les défis et les leçons apprises. Le projet “Autonomisation des Femmes et Dividende Démographique au Sahel” (SWEDD) a été lancé en novembre 2015 avec le soutien financier de la Banque mondiale, et l’appui technique du Fonds des Nations Unies pour la population (UNFPA) et de l’Organisation Ouest -Africaine pour la Santé (OOAS). Les recherches menant à ce Guide ont été dirigées par le Population …

Support For Girls’ Education And Keeping Them In School, Population Council, Swedd

Adolescents and Young People

SWEDD Series: Best Practice Guide no. 2

This Guide is one of a series that retrospectively documents the process of implementing the interventions of the SWEDD project, and documents good practices, challenges and lessons learned. The “Sahel Women's Empowerment and Demographic Dividend” (SWEDD) project was launched in November 2015 with financial support from the World Bank, and technical support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the West African Health Organisation (WAHO). The research informing this Guide was led by the Population Council.

Curriculum Development For Safe Spaces, Population Council, Swedd

Adolescents and Young People

SWEDD Series: Best Practice Guide no. 3

This Guide is one of a series that retrospectively documents the process of implementing the interventions of the SWEDD project, and documents good practices, challenges and lessons learned. The “Sahel Women's Empowerment and Demographic Dividend” (SWEDD) project was launched in November 2015 with financial support from the World Bank, and technical support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the West African Health Organisation (WAHO). The research informing this Guide was led by the Population Council.

Le Développement Curriculaire Pour Les Espaces Sûrs, Population Council, Swedd

Adolescents and Young People

Série SWEDD: Guide de Bonnes Pratiques no. 3

Ce Guide fait partie d’une série qui documente d’une manière rétrospective le processus de mise en œuvre des interventions du projet SWEDD, et décrit les bonnes pratiques, les défis et les leçons apprises. Le projet “Autonomisation des Femmes et Dividende Démographique au Sahel” (SWEDD) a été lancé en novembre 2015 avec le soutien financier de la Banque mondiale, et l’appui technique du Fonds des Nations Unies pour la population (UNFPA) et de l’Organisation Ouest -Africaine pour la Santé (OOAS). Les recherches menant à ce Guide ont été dirigées par le Population …

Safe Spaces, Population Council, Swedd

Adolescents and Young People

SWEDD Series: Best Practice Guide no. 4

This Guide is one of a series that retrospectively documents the process of implementing the interventions of the SWEDD project, and documents good practices, challenges and lessons learned. The “Sahel Women's Empowerment and Demographic Dividend” (SWEDD) project was launched in November 2015 with financial support from the World Bank, and technical support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the West African Health Organisation (WAHO). The research informing this Guide was led by the Population Council.

Les Espaces Sûrs, Population Council, Swedd

Adolescents and Young People

Série SWEDD: Guide de Bonnes Pratiques no. 4

Ce Guide fait partie d’une série qui documente d’une manière rétrospective le processus de mise en œuvre des interventions du projet SWEDD, et décrit les bonnes pratiques, les défis et les leçons apprises. Le projet “Autonomisation des Femmes et Dividende Démographique au Sahel” (SWEDD) a été lancé en novembre 2015 avec le soutien financier de la Banque mondiale, et l’appui technique du Fonds des Nations Unies pour la population (UNFPA) et de l’Organisation Ouest -Africaine pour la Santé (OOAS). Les recherches menant à ce Guide ont été dirigées par le Population …

The Role Of Group Leaders In Safe Spaces And Clubs For Husbands/Future Husbands, Population Council, Equimundo, Swedd

Adolescents and Young People

SWEDD Series: Best Practice Guide no. 6

This Guide is one of a series that retrospectively documents the process of implementing the interventions of the SWEDD project, and documents good practices, challenges and lessons learned. The “Sahel Women's Empowerment and Demographic Dividend” (SWEDD) project was launched in November 2015 with financial support from the World Bank, and technical support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the West African Health Organisation (WAHO). The research informing this Guide was led by the Population Council and Equimundo.

Mentoring In Group-Based Adolescent Girl Programs In Low- And Middle-Income Countries: Evidence-Informed Approaches, Miriam Temin, Sarah Blake, Eva Roca

Adolescents and Young People

Adolescent girls face distinct challenges that require tailored and girl-centered responses. This brief draws on the knowledge of program implementers and researchers who work on community-based girl group (CBGG) programs (often called “safe spaces”) in various low- and middle-income settings and the US. It summarizes emerging lessons and insights on CBGGs, emphasizing the vital role that mentors play in this group-based model. The evidence emphasizes the importance of providing mentors with training, supervision, compensation, solidarity, and opportunities to build their own networks.

Exploring The Role Of Men In Child Marriage Decision-Making In Rural Upper Egypt [Arabic], Salma Abou Hussein, Reham Abou El-Fadl, Sally Radwan, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab

Adolescents and Young People

No abstract provided.

Girls On The Map: Mapping For Program Planning And Social Change, Eva Roca

Adolescents and Young People

This guide explores ways in which maps can add depth to the learning process as practitioners design programs for girls. Mapping leads practitioners through a cycle of information collection and analysis. It supports decision-making about where, with whom, and when to work, and how programs can make a real difference in girls’ lives. Programs increasingly recognize the importance of household and community characteristics in shaping girls’ lives, yet it is relatively less common to measure or map community features as part of program planning. Mapping relevant populations of girls and the features of the communities they live in can inform …

Keeping Girls In Schools To Reduce Child Marriage In Rural Bangladesh: Endline Assessment, Sigma Ainul, Forhana Rahman Noor, Md. Irfan Hossain, Iqbal Ehsan, Mehnaz Manzur, Ubaidur Rob, Sajeda Amin

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This report describes findings of changes over time attributable to the “Keeping Girls in Schools” study in Bangladesh that implemented skill-building activities for a two-year period in the districts of Chapainawabganj, Kushtia, and Sherpur. The project sought to bring about change in child marriage norms prevalent in the area by offering young girls a safe place to meet after school hours with mentors and teachers and to offer girls tutoring support and life-skills. The project was implemented by the Population Council with the cooperation of secondary schools in the community and was supported by UNICEF under the aegis of the …

Evidence-Informed Planning And Action In Central Asia: Learnings From The Tajikistan Adolescent Wellbeing And Health Pilot Project, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

To address adolescent health and wellbeing in Tajikistan, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and Population Council used a hybrid human-centered (HCD) and evidence-based program design to engage adolescent girls, boys, and caregivers in a guided process of defining key issues and program areas. The design informed the development of a first-of-its-kind program model for AKF and in Tajikistan: coordinated community-based groups for adolescent girls and boys, caregivers' groups, and an institutional stakeholder community of practice in Tajikistan. Design and implementation experiences established "proof of concept" as a basis to expand the approach across the country and region. The pilot generated …

Learning Loss Among Adolescent Girls During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Rural Bangladesh, Sajeda Amin, Md. Irfan Hossain, Sigma Ainul

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Poor learning remains a central challenge in Bangladesh despite considerable progress in advancing schooling access and reducing gender gaps in education. The learning crisis is feared to have been exacerbated during extended school closures and limited alternative opportunities for schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. This brief summarizes findings on learning loss among adolescent girls during the pandemic in rural Bangladesh.

Resultados Del Estudio Sobre Violencia En La Era Covid-19 (Voces-19): Línea Base Reporte, Silvana Larrea-Schiavon, Lina López-Lalinde, Isabel Vieitez Martínez, Ricardo Regules, Juan Pablo Gutiérrez, René Nevárez, Cristina Macgregor, Pablo López, Nicole Haberland, Thoai Ngo

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Este informe presenta los resultados de la encuesta basal del estudio VOCES-19. El estudio, realizado por el Population Council México en colaboración con el Instituto Nacional de la Juventud y el Centro Nacional de Equidad de Género y Salud Reproductiva, tiene como objetivo comprender el impacto de la pandemia de COVID-19 y las medidas de mitigación que la acompañan en la experiencia y la percepción de la violencia entre las y los jóvenes de 15 a 24 años que viven en México, así como otros impactos sociales, económicos y relacionados con la salud. Los objetivos principales de esta primera ronda …

Findings From The Violence Outcomes In Covid-19 Era Study (Voces-19): Baseline Results, Silvana Larrea-Schiavon, Lina López-Lalinde, Isabel Vieitez Martínez, Ricardo Regules, Juan Pablo Gutiérrez, René Nevárez, Cristina Macgregor, Pablo López, Nicole Haberland, Thoai Ngo

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This report presents findings from the baseline survey of the Violence Outcomes in COVID-19 Era Study (VOCES-19). The study, conducted by Population Council Mexico in collaboration with the National Institute of Youth and the National Center for Gender Equity and Reproductive Health aims to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying mitigation measures on the experience and perception of violence among 15–24-year-olds living in Mexico, as well as its effects on other social, economic, and health, related outcomes. The primary objectives for this first survey round were to gather baseline information on several outcomes of interest, assess differential …

Adolescent Girls And Covid-19: Mapping The Evidence On Interventions, Sarah Blake, Miriam Temin, Tara Abularrage, Nihal Said

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

With the COVID-19 crisis continuing to evolve, evidence on the effectiveness of short-term emergency-oriented responses and long-term mitigation strategies is expanding but still limited. There are, and will continue to be, substantial evidence gaps on programming to address risk across outcomes of importance to adolescent girls. More evidence is needed to slow the risks posed by the pandemic for this subpopulation, which can help guide gender- and age-responsive prevention and impact mitigation investments. Evidence from approaches delivered in other unstable contexts may offer important lessons for decision-making in the current context. Recognizing this, the Population Council conducted a structured review …

Getting Girls Back To School In Kenya: The 4ts ('Trace, Track, Talk And Return') Initiative Implementation Report, George Odwe, Chi-Chi Undie, Ann Gachoya, Truphena Kirongo, Fredrick Kiiru, Jane Njogu

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Covid-19 pandemic led to devastating economic and social disruptions globally including in the education sector. The pandemic disrupted access to both sexual and reproductive health services and safe spaces. As a result, many girls faced vulnerabilities that inhibited access to basic education, including risks of child marriage, early pregnancy, gender-based violence, female genital mutilation/cutting, sexual exploitation, and child labor. The negative impact of Covid-19 on girls' education underscores the need for interventions addressing the effect on school re-entry and retention. Kenya has a favorable policy environment for supporting retention within, and re-entry into, schools for vulnerable girls. Notable core …

Health And Ideations Of Married Female Adolescents, Breakthrough Research

Reproductive Health

This brief provides rigorous evidence-based insights to implementers and researchers of social and behavior change (SBC) programs that seek to improve knowledge, attitudes, norms, and behaviors of married female adolescents. The brief focuses on married adolescents’ uptake of services and health knowledge in Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara states in northwestern Nigeria using a subset of data from a household survey of married women ages 15–49 years. It is one of a series of briefs that present findings from a Breakthrough RESEARCH study that uniquely captures data on a wide range of psychosocial drivers of behavioral outcomes in the areas of …

Endline Results Brief: What Works To Improve Outcomes For Kenya's Adolescent Girls?, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Adolescent Girls Initiative–Kenya is a study that evaluates the long-term impact of a multisectoral intervention targeted at adolescent girls aged 11 to 15 years from Kibera and rural Wajir. The intervention consists of four 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. A random selection of 6,000 girls were exposed to different components of the intervention. Key results, noted in this brief, are: conditional cash transfers are a key driver of improvement in education outcomes, and of delaying sexual debut and pregnancy in …

The Adolescent Girls Initiative-Kenya—Executive Summary: Two-Year Follow Up Results, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

In Kenya, early pregnancy is a challenge for girls that often has immediate effects on their educational opportunities, future implications for their social, health, and economic outcomes, and immediate and ongoing negative impacts on their children. Early pregnancy is an outcome shaped by a myriad of issues affecting an adolescent girl’s life—including community norms on gender roles, violence, and the social value of girls; barriers to formal education; household poverty; lack of economic independence; experience of violence; and social isolation. For girls to achieve well-being in early and late adolescence, no single-sector intervention—whether it be education, health, wealth creation, or …

Positioning Community-Based Girl Group Programs For Success: Lessons Learned From The Population Council's Technical Assistance Partnership With Unfpa-Mozambique's Rapariga Biz, Miriam Temin, Arune Estavela, Craig Heck, Natalie Jackson, Joana Mendes

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Population Council provided technical assistance and strengthened capacity for Rapariga Biz, a large-scale UN program in 20 districts across Nampula and Zambezia provinces in Mozambique. The program was established to reduce child marriage and early pregnancy through a set of multisectoral interventions. The partnership between the Council and UNFPA-Mozambique generated useful lessons regarding the opportunities and challenges of using the community-based girl groups (CBGG) model in low-resource settings, especially when implemented at scale. In CBGG programs, girls and young women meet regularly with a leader (e.g., a mentor) who uses a variety of pedagogical methods to address sexual and …

Building Assets Toolkit: Developing Positive Benchmarks For Adolescent Girls—Instruction Guide [Arabic], Judith Bruce, Sarah Engebretsen, Kimberly Glazer

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

English Summary:
The Building Assets Toolkit is an approach for developing programs for specific segments of girls that will prepare them to better face the challenges of growing up. It will help program managers understand the needs of the girls in their community, engage stakeholders at different levels and with different viewpoints, and build concrete and meaningful programming for adolescent girls. The toolkit contains all the materials needed to help make a preliminary assessment of the assets a girl should acquire and the age by which she should acquire them. This document contains the Building Assets Toolkit’s List of …

Building Assets Toolkit: Developing Positive Benchmarks For Adolescent Girls—Asset Cards [Arabic], Judith Bruce, Sarah Engebretsen, Kimberly Glazer

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

[In Arabic] The Building Assets Toolkit is an approach for developing programs for specific segments of girls that will prepare them to better face the challenges of growing up. It will help program managers understand the needs of the girls in their community, engage stakeholders at different levels and with different viewpoints, and build concrete and meaningful programming for adolescent girls.

This document contains the Building Assets Toolkit’s Asset Cards (110), set of Age Cards (age 6 to 20), and Program Planning Worksheet (sample provided). The Age Cards are to be printed out and placed according to the instructions. The …