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Pedaling Toward The Future: Increasing And Maintaining The School Attendance Of Adolescent Girls In Indigenous Communities Of Rural Guatemala, Paola Broll

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Population Council Guatemala, with the support of UNFPA and other donors, developed a strategy of expansion and scale up of Abriendo Oportunidades (AO) through geographic conglomerates with an ecological approach. They provided 250 bicycles as an additional component of AO to assess its effectiveness in increasing mobility and school attendance in four municipalities in Guatemala. This brief describes how the project was successful in increasing mobility, reinsertion, and completion of the 2017 school year among its participants. Results show that the provision of bicycles to adolescents participating in the Abriendo Oportunidades program increased school reintegration from the 2016 cycle to …

Skill Retention After School-Leaving: Analysis Of Data From The Malawi Schooling And Adolescent Study, Erica Soler-Hampejsek, Barbara Mensch, Stephanie Psaki, Monica J. Grant, Christine A. Kelly, Paul C. Hewett

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The skills young people develop in school provide an essential foundation that can either be reinforced or deteriorate depending on the strength of the foundation and opportunities after leaving school. This brief describes findings from an analysis of a longitudinal data set of Malawian adolescents aged 14–17 attending school when first interviewed in 2007. The study investigated whether literacy and numeracy skills at school-leaving—among those who dropped out before completing secondary school—were retained several years after. Results show a significant gender difference in skill level after school-leaving for English skills, even after controlling for initial skill level and grade attainment, …

Girlsread! Zambia: Dreams Innovation Challenge, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

GirlsRead! is an education and empowerment program in Zambia. It includes three interventions: 1) safe space groups for girls, 2) e-readers designed for rural Africa, and 3) community engagement to bolster learning outcomes and reduce the likelihood that girls will leave school early. This brief describes the program, evaluation results, and implications.

Abriendo Oportunidades: Material Didáctico Para Sesiones De Trabajo, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Este documento es parte de los materiales de enseñanza para mentores en el programa Abriendo Oportunidades. La hoja informativa presenta los derechos de las niñas, adolescentes y mujeres indígenas. Incluye un mapa de los 22 departamentos administrativos de Guatemala.

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This document is part of the teaching materials for mentors in the Abriendo Oportunidades program. The fact sheet outlines the rights of indigenous girls, adolescents, and women. It includes a map of Guatemala's 22 administrative departments.

Abriendo Oportunidades A La Incidencia Política En Mi Comunidad: Guía Curricular, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

La propuesta de Abriendo Oportunidades® a la Incidencia Política en Mi Comunidad enfatiza en la condición ciudadana de las niñas y adolescentes, impulsando su interés por comprometerse con mejoras en su comunidad a través de su participación en el diseño y ejecución de acciones de incidencia política a nivel familiar, escolar, comunitario y municipal. Esta guía es un instrumento para las mentoras comunitarias que apoyan a las niñas y adolescentes participantes en el fortalecimiento de sus habilidades para la vida y en el desarrollo de competencias para realizar incidencia política a nivel comunitario. Siguiendo el modelo educativo de Abriendo Oportunidades, …

Trabajando En Incidencia Política Hacia Una Mejor Vida Para Las Niñas, Jóvenes Y Mujeres En Mi Comunidad, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Las guías de trabajo para la incidencia política comunitaria se hacen con el objetivo de enfatizar la condición ciudadana de las niñas y adolescentes e impulsar su interés por comprometerse a mejoras en su comunidad a través de su participación política. El Population Council ha desarrollado estas herramientas para apoyar el trabajo de jóvenes lideresas en el diseño y ejecución de acciones de incidencia a nivel familiar, escolar, comunitario y municipal. El contenido abordado en este material se enfoca especialmente en temas relativos a la prevención de la violencia y garantía de derechos a mujeres, niñez y juventud, y pueblos …

Program Modalidades Flexibles: Integrated Curriculum Guide—Primer Semestre, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Guatemala ha enfrentado grandes desafíos para garantizar a sus habitantes el acceso a la educación secundaria, especialmente a las mujeres jóvenes que enfrentan mayores retos para continuar su vida escolar. Ante esta realidad, el Population Council se suma a los esfuerzos de la Dirección General de Educación Extraescolar del Ministerio de Educación de Guatemala para acercar el Nivel de Educación Media a las comunidades más vulnerables. Esto se ha logrado al incorporar el programa Modalidades Flexibles para Ciclo Básico como componente clave en la atención a la población joven y más excluida del sistema escolar. Mediante el diseño y elaboración …

Program Modalidades Flexibles: Integrated Curriculum Guide—Segundo Semestre, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

El Population Council se suma a los esfuerzos de la Dirección General de Educación Extraescolar del Ministerio de Educación de Guatemala para acercar el Nivel de Educación Media a las comunidades más vulnerables. Esto se ha logrado al incorporar el programa Modalidades Flexibles para Ciclo Básico como componente clave en la atención a la población joven y más excluida del sistema escolar. Mediante el diseño y elaboración de esta guía de aprendizaje se ofrece un recurso para estudiantes y docentes que están participando en el segundo semestre de la etapa II del Ciclo Básico del programa Modalidades Flexibles. El abordaje …

Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (Agep), Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

For Zambian girls, social isolation, economic vulnerability, and lack of appropriate health information and services are critical problems that prevent a healthy transition from girlhood to womanhood. The challenges that girls are confronted with—high rates of gender-based violence, unsafe sex that puts them at risk for unwanted pregnancy and HIV infection, school dropout, lack of economic resources and income-generating options, lack of agency and participation—are linked together through their root causes. Through the Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (AGEP), the Population Council and partners implemented a social, health, and economic asset-building program for vulnerable adolescent girls in Zambia. This brief summarizes …

Fortaleciendo Las Capacidades De Programación Centradas En Niños, Niñas, Adolescentes Y Jóvenes: Ejercicio Para La Construcción De Activos Protectores—Tercer Taller, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Diseñemos juntos nuestro programa es una colección de herramientas elaboradas con el objetivo de complementar el aprendizaje de las y los coordinadores de los Programas de Infancia, Adolescencia y Juventud (PMIAJ/COMVIDA) que se implementan en diferentes municipios de Honduras. Estas herramientas son un complemento al material producido por Population Council como parte de una serie de talleres llamados “Fortaleciendo las capacidades programáticas centradas en niños, niñas, adolescentes y jóvenes,” impartidos en 2017.

Las herramientas de esta colección (ver más abajo) ayudarán a quienes las utilicen a asesorar estrategias de reclutamiento de participantes del programa, identificar subgrupos de participantes en mayores …

Programas Municipales De Infancia Adolescencia Y Juventud, Honduras: Diseñemos Juntos Nuestro Programa, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Diseñemos juntos nuestro programa es una colección de herramientas elaboradas con el objetivo de complementar el aprendizaje de las y los coordinadores de los Programas de Infancia, Adolescencia y Juventud (PMIAJ/COMVIDA) que se implementan en diferentes municipios de Honduras. Estas herramientas son un complemento al material producido por Population Council como parte de una serie de talleres llamados “Fortaleciendo las capacidades programáticas centradas en niños, niñas, adolescentes y jóvenes,” impartidos en 2017.

Las herramientas de esta colección (ver más abajo) ayudarán a quienes las utilicen a asesorar estrategias de reclutamiento de participantes del programa, identificar subgrupos de participantes en mayores …

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 …

Migration And Child Domestic Work: Evidence From Ethiopia, Annabel Erulkar

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Domestic work is frequently the initial survival strategy for rural Ethiopian girls migrating to urban areas. Following migration from rural areas, most girls enter the workforce as domestic workers, because it is a readily available form of work requiring little or no education. In 2015–16, the Population Council undertook a study of migrant, out-of-school girls in urban and rural areas in six Ethiopian regions which demonstrated that this is a common phenomenon. Originating from poor rural areas and armed with little in the way of education, domestic workers receive low pay and frequently work in abusive situations, including sexual abuse. …

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.

Insights And Evidence Gaps In Girl-Centered Programming: A Systematic Review, Nicole Haberland, Katharine Mccarthy, Martha Brady

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Increased attention to the needs of adolescent girls has led to a growing number of programs in low- and middle-income countries. Questions remain, however, about what aspects of program design are most effective. This hinders efforts to effectively allocate resources, scale up programs, and replicate results across settings. This review looks at how the number of program components, involvement of supporting actors who influence the lives of girls, supplemental “booster” activities, intervention exposure level, and community saturation level influenced outcomes for girls. While findings suggest the importance of multicomponent programs and longer program exposure, each area requires further rigorous research …

Delivering Impact For Adolescent Girls: Emerging Findings From Population Council Research, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Despite numerous global commitments to invest in improving the lives of adolescent girls, questions remain as to what package of interventions can deliver the best outcomes. This report synthesizes findings from nine recent Population Council impact evaluations, conducted around the world, which indicate that empowerment and asset-building interventions for adolescent girls can improve education, health, economic, social capital, gender-equitable attitude, and violence outcomes for girls. The report includes implications for programs and investment, and identifies open questions for further research and evaluation.

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 …