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Full-Text Articles in Gender and Sexuality
The Girl Roster: A Practical Tool For Strengthening Girl-Centered Programming, Population Council
The Girl Roster: A Practical Tool For Strengthening Girl-Centered Programming, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This brief describes the Girl RosterTM, a practical tool designed by the Population Council to help practitioners understand their program areas and elicit foundational information to intentionally link girls—especially highly marginalized adolescent girls—to the vital resources, facilities, and services to which they are entitled but often have limited or no access. The tool is a user-friendly, efficient, and cost-effective way to collect program-relevant information about girls in a community, using a mobile phone–based questionnaire (or, where resources do not permit, paper and pencil). The tool enables users to see a fuller view of girls’ lived realities in defined …
More Than Brides Alliance: Midline Evaluation Report, Andrea J. Melnikas, Grace Saul, Santosh Kumar Singh, James Mkandawire, Mouhamadou Gueye, Aissa Diarra, Sajeda Amin
More Than Brides Alliance: Midline Evaluation Report, Andrea J. Melnikas, Grace Saul, Santosh Kumar Singh, James Mkandawire, Mouhamadou Gueye, Aissa Diarra, Sajeda Amin
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The More than Brides Alliance (MTBA) was formed to bringing together the strengths of a diverse team skilled in adolescent program implementation and research. The goal of the research presented in this report is to promote an evidence-based programmatic approach to delaying marriage in India, Malawi, Mali, Niger, and Pakistan by gathering detailed quantitative and qualitative information from the program areas over time to examine the impact of the present intervention and inform future strategies. This report highlights data from the midline survey on a set of outcomes approximately midway through the MTBA intervention and compares them with the same …
« More Than Brides Alliance (Mtba) » : Rapport D’Évaluation À Mi-Parcours Au Mali Et Au Niger, Andrea J. Melnikas, Grace Saul, Mouhamadou Gueye, Aissa Diarra, Sajeda Amin
« More Than Brides Alliance (Mtba) » : Rapport D’Évaluation À Mi-Parcours Au Mali Et Au Niger, Andrea J. Melnikas, Grace Saul, Mouhamadou Gueye, Aissa Diarra, Sajeda Amin
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
L’Alliance « Plus qu’une épouse » (More Than Brides Alliance—MTBA) a été formée, rassemblant les forces d’une équipe diversifiée, compétente pour la mise en œuvre et la recherche de programmes destinés aux adolescents. Le volet recherche de l’Alliance MTBA vise à fournir des preuves et des connaissances sur ce qui fonctionne pour retarder le mariage des enfants en Inde, au Malawi, au Mali, au Niger et au Pakistan en évaluant le programme d’intervention de l’Alliance MTBA et en examinant les facteurs spécifiques du mariage des enfants dans chaque contexte. Dans ce rapport, nous visons à évaluer les succès du programme …
More Than A Backdrop: Understanding The Role Of Communities In Programming For Adolescent Girls—Action Guide, Sarah Blake, Miriam Temin
More Than A Backdrop: Understanding The Role Of Communities In Programming For Adolescent Girls—Action Guide, Sarah Blake, Miriam Temin
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The structural and social features of a girl’s community play a critical role in determining what effects programs for adolescent girls can achieve. Girls’ communities include both the physical spaces girls must navigate and adults and peers who shape their beliefs about marriage, work, and education. This action guide focuses on key questions to ask when designing programs: How many girls live in a given community? Is the community urban, peri-urban, or rural? Is it formal or informal? How stable or cohesive is a community? Who is considered a “community member”? What resources exist for girls in the community, and …
Delivering Results In Girls' Education: How To Evaluate What Works, What Doesn't, And What We Don't Know, Stephanie Psaki
Delivering Results In Girls' Education: How To Evaluate What Works, What Doesn't, And What We Don't Know, Stephanie Psaki
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Girls around the world face daunting challenges when it comes to enrolling in primary school, completing secondary school, and gaining the basic knowledge and skills they need to be empowered, healthy, and productive adults. Many governments and organizations have risen to meet that challenge through policies and programs designed to remove common barriers to girls’ education. But as the number of actors in this space grows, and resources to address these challenges remain scarce, it is essential to ensure that investments are targeted toward the most effective policies and programs. This brief lays out the basics of program evaluation. The …
Adolescent Girls Empowerment Programme: Endline Technical Report, Karen Austrian, Erica Soler-Hampejsek, Paul C. Hewett, Natalie Jackson Hachonda, Jere R. Behrman
Adolescent Girls Empowerment Programme: Endline Technical Report, Karen Austrian, Erica Soler-Hampejsek, Paul C. Hewett, Natalie Jackson Hachonda, Jere R. Behrman
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The theory of change behind the Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (AGEP) posited that adolescent girls are empowered by building social, health, and economic assets that they can then draw on to reduce vulnerabilities and expand opportunities. In the long term, they will then increase their likelihood of completing school, delaying sexual debut, and reducing risks of early marriages, unintended pregnancies, acquisition of HIV, and other possibly detrimental outcomes. This endline report indicates that, while there were some changes for the program participants in the medium and long term, they did not translate into longer-term effects on reproductive and demographic outcomes …
Girlsread! Girls’ Rights: An Empowerment Curriculum, Natalie Jackson Hachonda, Nicole Haberland, Barbara Mensch, Pamela Nyirenda, Diana Bulanda-Shalala
Girlsread! Girls’ Rights: An Empowerment Curriculum, Natalie Jackson Hachonda, Nicole Haberland, Barbara Mensch, Pamela Nyirenda, Diana Bulanda-Shalala
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This curriculum guide is designed to help female mentors in the GirlsRead! program in Zambia to directly engage girls in critical thinking about gender inequalities and discrimination, and help them build the assets and confidence needed to act on their own behalf and as progressive voices in their communities. GirlsRead! participants are girls in grade 7—the last year of primary school—when they are at high risk of leaving school. The curriculum includes 19 sessions that cover a range of topics from gender equality to sexuality to rights, in meetings that provide a space and opportunity for girls to regularly interact …
Insights And Evidence Gaps In Girl-Centered Programming: A Systematic Review, Nicole Haberland, Katharine Mccarthy, Martha Brady
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 …
What Works To Improve Outcomes For Kenya's Adolescent Girls?, Population Council
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.
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
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 …
Migration And Child Domestic Work: Evidence From Ethiopia, Annabel Erulkar
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. …
Delivering Impact For Adolescent Girls: Emerging Findings From Population Council Research, Population Council
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.
Male Partners Of Adolescent Girls And Young Women: Relationship Characteristics And Hiv Risk—Findings From Dreams Implementation Science Research, Population Council
Male Partners Of Adolescent Girls And Young Women: Relationship Characteristics And Hiv Risk—Findings From Dreams Implementation Science Research, Population Council
HIV and AIDS
Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in South Africa, as in many countries, are particularly vulnerable to HIV for a variety of reasons, including economic disadvantage and unequal power dynamics in sexual relationships with their male partners—many of whom are older and engage in high-risk behaviors. In an effort to learn more about men’s relationships with AGYW and how HIV services can better engage them, the Population Council is conducting implementation science research in KwaZulu-Natal Province. This brief reports findings from a 2017 baseline survey with nearly 1,000 men. An endline survey is planned for mid-late 2018, and will focus …
Pedaleando Hacia El Futuro: Una Oportunidad Para Incrementar Y Mantener La Asistencia Escolar De Niñas Adolescentes Encomunidades Indígeneas Del Árearural En Guatemala, Paola Broll
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Population Council Guatemala, con el apoyo de UNFPA y otros donantes, desarrolló la estrategia de expansión y escala de Abriendo Oportunidades (AO) a través de conglomerados geográficos con abordaje ecológico. La provisión de 250 bicicletas fue un componente adicional de AO para probar su efectividad en el aumento de movilidad y la asistencia escolar en cuatro municipios guatemaltecos. Este reporte describe como el proyecto fue exitoso en el aumento de la movilidad, reinserción, y finalización del ciclo escolar 2017 de sus participantes. Los resultados muestran como la dotación de las bicicletas incrementó en 24% la reinserción escolar del ciclo 2016 …
Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (Agep): Sexual And Gender-Based Violence, Karen Austrian, Erica Soler-Hampejsek, Natalie Jackson Hachonda, Paul C. Hewett
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 …
Indigenous Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment Network (Imagen): Adapting The Girl Roster™ For Lakota Communities, Kelly Hallman, Stephanie Martinez
Indigenous Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment Network (Imagen): Adapting The Girl Roster™ For Lakota Communities, Kelly Hallman, Stephanie Martinez
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
This brief reports on a first-of-a-kind meeting between the Population Council’s GIRLCenter and organizations such as the White Buffalo Calf Woman Society (WBCWS) that work locally with Native American communities to understand the specific needs of adolescent girls in Indian Country. This followed an inaugural meeting of the Indigenous Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment Network (IMAGEN) with its wealth of insight concerning the needs of the Native communities they serve, and the GIRL Center’s myriad programmatic tools and resources that have been tried and tested in global settings for several decades. The IMAGEN Approach is an adaptable process that links these two …
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
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, …
Construyendo Activos Protectores En Niñas Adolescentes: Una Colección De Herramientas Para El Diseño De Programas, Population Council
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 …
Adolescent Girls Initiative-Kenya: Financial Education Audio Training Script, Wajir, Population Council
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 Initiative-Kenya: Health And Life Skills Audio Training Script, Wajir, Population Council
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 …
Développer Les Compétences De Protection Des Filles: Ensemble D’Outils Pour La Conception D’Un Programme, Population Council
Développer Les Compétences De Protection Des Filles: Ensemble D’Outils Pour La Conception D’Un Programme, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Les adolescentes sont devenues une population cible clé pour les initiatives d'autonomisation, de santé et de développement dans les pays en développement. Cette collection d’outils est destinée aux organisations qui se sont engagées à étendre leurs programmes pour atteindre les sous-catégories de filles et jeunes femmes exclues: les filles les plus pauvres dans les communautés les plus pauvres; les filles âgées de 10 à 14 ans non scolarisées et n’habitant pas avec leur père ou leur mère; ou d’autres sous-catégories de jeunes filles qui sont tout simplement susceptibles d’être laissées pour compte. Cet ensemble contient des outils et des exercices …
Building Girls' Protective Assets: A Collection Of Tools For Program Design, Population Council
Building Girls' Protective Assets: A Collection Of Tools For Program Design, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Adolescent girls have become a key target population for empowerment, health, and development initiatives in low- and middle-income countries. This collection of tools is intended for organizations that are committed to extending their programs to reach excluded subpopulations of girls and young women—whether they are the poorest girls in the poorest communities, the 10–14-year-old girls who are out of school and not living with either parent, or another subpopulation of young girls who are likely to miss out. The collection contains tools and exercises to help programmers translate evidence on “what works” into girl-centered programming. The resources in this collection …
Engaging Parents To Promote Girls' Transition To Secondary Education: Evidence From A Cluster Randomised Trial In Rural Gujarat, India, K.G. Santhya, A.J. Francis Zavier, Pallavi Patel, Neeta Shah
Engaging Parents To Promote Girls' Transition To Secondary Education: Evidence From A Cluster Randomised Trial In Rural Gujarat, India, K.G. Santhya, A.J. Francis Zavier, Pallavi Patel, Neeta Shah
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The Population Council and partners, with the support of the Human Dignity Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, implemented a pilot intervention in India─Project Sankalp─to assess the acceptability and feasibility of engaging parents and communities to promote girls’ secondary education. The project's aim was to measure its effectiveness in improving adolescent girls’ transition to secondary education, their attendance at school, and learning outcomes. Findings show that the effect of Project Sankalp on creating an enabling environment for girls to pursue secondary education was mixed. On the positive side, the project showed success in raising girls’ educational …
Sexual Behaviors And Biomarkers: Baseline Findings, Population Council
Sexual Behaviors And Biomarkers: Baseline Findings, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (AGEP) is a program for girls ages 10–19 in rural and urban Zambia that aims to find the best ways to improve their social, health, and economic resources. More than 10,000 girls participated in weekly girls’ group meetings, received health vouchers, and opened savings accounts. More than 5,000 girls, unmarried at baseline, were enrolled in a randomized, controlled trial and followed over four years—two years in the program and two years after the program ended. This brief describes the characteristics of enrolled girls at baseline.
Adolescent Girls Initiative-Kenya: Baseline Report, Karen Austrian, Eunice N. Muthengi, Taylor Riley, Joyce Mumah, Caroline W. Kabiru, Benta Abuya
Adolescent Girls Initiative-Kenya: Baseline Report, Karen Austrian, Eunice N. Muthengi, Taylor Riley, Joyce Mumah, Caroline W. Kabiru, Benta Abuya
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Many adolescent girls in Kenya face considerable risks and vulnerabilities that affect their education status, health, and general well-being. The Adolescent Girls Initiative–Kenya (AGI-K) will deliver multisectoral interventions for over 5,000 girls aged 11–14 in two marginalized areas of Kenya: the Kibera slums in Nairobi, and Wajir County in Northeastern Kenya. Implemented by Plan International in Kibera and Save the Children in Wajir, these interventions will be implemented for two years and will comprise a combination of girl-level, household-level, and community-level interventions. A randomized controlled trial will be used to compare the impact of four different packages of interventions to …
Is Agep Building Assets For Vulnerable Girls In Zambia? Preliminary Research Findings, Population Council
Is Agep Building Assets For Vulnerable Girls In Zambia? Preliminary Research Findings, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (AGEP) is a randomized controlled trial that evaluates a multisectoral program intended to increase girls’ social, health, and economic resources. AGEP involves over 10,000 vulnerable girls aged 10–19 in Zambia. The girls participate in weekly girls’ group meetings (safe spaces), receive vouchers for health services, and open savings accounts. AGEP operates in ten sites—five urban and five rural—across four provinces in Zambia. The AGEP evaluation is based on the randomization of girls to participate in one of four arms of the program: 1) safe spaces only, 2) safe spaces + health voucher, 3) safe spaces …
Participatory Research Results From Training With The Mabinti Tushike Hatamu Out-Of-School Girls Program: Tanzania 2015, Kelly Hallman, Ilan Cerna-Turoff, Neema Matee
Participatory Research Results From Training With The Mabinti Tushike Hatamu Out-Of-School Girls Program: Tanzania 2015, Kelly Hallman, Ilan Cerna-Turoff, Neema Matee
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
The Mabinti Tushike Hatamu (Girls let’s be leaders!) program is designed to test and evaluate strategies for reducing the vulnerability of out-of-school adolescent girls in Tanzania aged 10–19 years to HIV/AIDS, pregnancy, and unfavorable life outcomes. MTH is led by the Tanzania AIDS Commission, implemented by Restless Development, and supported by UNICEF. The Population Council developed a strategy for Restless Development to capture the richness of its activities. The Council designed a training session and a companion toolkit in participatory action research for community volunteers, aged 19–23 years, to use within their girl groups. This report describes the findings from …
Adolescent Girls Initiative-Kenya: Program Overview, Population Council
Adolescent Girls Initiative-Kenya: Program Overview, Population Council
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Many adolescent girls in Kenya face considerable risks and vulnerabilities that affect their education, health, and general well-being—including early marriage; teenage pregnancy; early, unprotected, and/or unwanted sexual activity; violence; social isolation; and HIV/STIs. For the most part, very young adolescent girls who live in risk-prone environments have not yet experienced these negative outcomes. It is critical, therefore, to intervene early and increase girls’ capacity to overcome these risks before the challenges result in outcomes that may be irreversible. Research has shown that single-sector interventions are not adequate to obtain the range of outcomes needed to help girls enter into adulthood …
The Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program: Lessons Learned From The Pilot Test Program, Karen Austrian, Natalie Jackson Hachonda, Paul C. Hewett
The Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program: Lessons Learned From The Pilot Test Program, Karen Austrian, Natalie Jackson Hachonda, Paul C. Hewett
Poverty, Gender, and Youth
Adolescent girls in Zambia face a range of risks and vulnerabilities that compromise their healthy development into young women, and lack the social, health, and economic assets to mitigate these risks. The issues that girls are confronted with include 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, and lack of agency and participation. The Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (AGEP) has three major components: safe spaces groups in which girls meet once a week over the course of two years for training …