Gender and Sexuality Commons^™

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 …

Marriage And Sexual And Reproductive Health Of Rohingya Adolescents And Youth In Bangladesh: A Qualitative Study, Sigma Ainul, Iqbal Ehsan, Eashita Haque, Sajeda Amin, Ubaidur Rob, Andrea J. Melnikas, Joseph Falcone

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This qualitative study focuses specifically on displaced Rohingya adolescents and youth (ages 14–24) and explores how the crisis has impacted their sexual and reproductive health (SRH), marriage practices, safety and security, and related attitudes and aspirations. This research aims to identify approaches to improve adolescents’ knowledge of SRH issues and their access to and uptake of services, and to identify gaps in programming knowledge and practice. Findings from this formative research and recommended actions will help the Government of Bangladesh, donors, and other relevant stakeholders to mobilize resources and deliver SRH services in a more organized and efficient way and …

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 …

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, …

Social Support, Relationship Quality, And Self-Care Behaviors In Patients With Heart Failure, Majdi Mohammad Rababa

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the associations among social support, gender, relationship quality, and self-care behaviors in patients with heart failure (HF). Specific aims were to: 1) compare the psychometric properties of the 12-item and the 9-item European Heart Failure Self-Care Behavior Scale (EHFScBS) when used to measure self-care behaviors in patients with HF in the United States; 2) determine whether gender moderated the association between perceived social support and daily sodium intake in patients with HF; and 3) determine whether a patient’s gender and relationship with the primary family caregiver (spousal or non-spousal) moderated the association …

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 …

Forced Child Unions: From Legal Reform To Social Disruption—Formative Research In Five Communities In Chisec, Alta Verapaz, Paola Broll, Cecilia Garcés

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Evidence has shown that child early and forced marriage/unions (CEFM/U) are harmful to the rights and development of girls and adolescents. It has also shown that increasing the minimum marriage age is not enough to eradicate this phenomenon because of the underlying practices of social institutions at the community level. This report details an investigation undertaken when a modification to the Civil Code was approved, then modified, in order to increase the minimum age of marriage in Guatemala. The investigation aimed to identify the norms, practices, and attitudes prevailing in the school, family, religion, government, and economy with regard to …

Girlsread! E-Reader Curriculum, Natalie Jackson Hachonda, Nicole Haberland, Abdul-Kahad Alhassan, Beatrice Ani-Asamoah, Pamela Nyirenda, Barbara Mensch

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Zambian adolescent girls are at risk for premature school leaving and HIV infection due to a host of contextual factors including child marriage, early childbearing, harmful gender norms, and intimate partner violence. This report describes the GirlsRead! program, whose overall goal is to enhance learning and increase progression to secondary school among Zambian adolescent girls in grade 7, the last year of primary school. Through GirlsRead!, the Population Council, together with FAWEZA and Worldreader are aiming to improve school retention by bolstering girls’ learning outcomes, furthering social connections, improving critical thinking skills, increasing agency, and fostering community norms supportive of …

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. …

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.

Using Evidence To Improve Quality Of Pharmacy-Delivered Medical Abortion, Katharine Footman, Nancy Termini Lachance

Reproductive Health

The goal of family planning and reproductive health operations research is to generate evidence that helps policies and programs maximize access to and quality of services for women and their families. Yet the crucial step of ensuring the utilization of that evidence often receives inconsistent or inadequate attention. The goal of this case study is to document an activity of Marie Stopes International (MSI) in Kenya, part of the STEP UP research program consortium, which resulted in successful evidence utilization. STEP UP research on quality of care for medical abortion, particularly on pharmacy provision of medical abortion, has provided the …

Changes In Fgm/C In Somaliland: Medical Narrative Driving Shift In Types Of Cutting, Richard A. Powell, Mohamed Yussuf

Reproductive Health

In Somalia, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) prevalence is nearly universal at 98 percent. This qualitative study sought to explore: 1) views and experiences of married and unmarried men and women on FGM/C and potential changes in its practice; 2) individual, family, and societal factors contributing to any changes, or continuation of FGM/C; 3) the knowledge, views, and experiences of healthcare workers who offer FGM/C services and their role as change agents rather than providers; and 4) how healthcare systems’ capacities can be strengthened for management and prevention. The study finds that normative changes appear to be occurring in Somaliland society …

Collaborative Work With Somaliland Stakeholders To Increase Evidence Based Decision Making In Fgm/C, Chantalle Okondo

Reproductive Health

The Population Council collaborated with partners Orchid Project and Somaliland Family Health Association to pilot a new approach to disseminating research findings in order to increase the impact of evidence-based decisionmaking in program, policy, and investments in female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). This brief reports on a recent workshop that utilized an open space approach to encourage review of recent key evidence on FGM/C in Somaliland; explore UNICEF’s six elements of abandonment and their relevance to the Somaliland context; link research with decisionmaking; and develop action plans. Participants identified six key themes for further reflection: behavioral/social change, medicalization, policy, child rights, …

Exploring The Nigerian Health System's Response To Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, Otibho Obianwu

Reproductive Health

Although Nigeria has shown a steady long-term decline in female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) prevalence, the practice remains widespread. This study brief outlines the Population Council’s Evidence to End FGM/C research program, which, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, will conduct a diagnostic assessment in order to: 1) examine how the healthcare sector supports the prevention of FGM/C; 2) determine the role of the healthcare sector in the management of FGM/C-related complications and the quality of care offered to clients; and 3) identify possible solutions for strengthening the healthcare system’s capacity to manage and prevent FGM/C. Findings are intended …

Fgm/C Decision-Making Process And The Role Of Gender Power Relations In Sudan, Ahmed Gamal Eldin, Suad Babiker, Majdi Sabahelzain, Muna Eltayeb

Reproductive Health

This study by the Population Council, Nairobi and partners aimed to contribute to a better understanding of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Sudan and the way different families perceive the practice and make FGM/C-related decisions. The ultimate goal was to inform interventions aimed at accelerating the pace of positive behavioral and social norm change and eventually promote the abandonment of all forms of FGM/C in Sudan. The findings indicate that although parents often make the final decision to cut or not cut their daughters, they do not act in isolation but are influenced by dominant social norms and by other …

Medicalisation Of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting In Sudan: Shift In Types And Providers, Nafisa Bedri, Huda Sherfi, Ghada Rudwan, Sara Elhadi, Wafa Elamin

Reproductive Health

This study by the Population Council and the Gender and Reproductive Health and Rights Resource and Advocacy Center aimed to inform the development of future interventions by generating evidence on the drivers of the shifts in the practice of female genital cutting/mutilation (FGM/C) in Sudan. Researchers conducted a community-based cross-sectional, comparative, mixed-methods study that examined shifts in the type of cut, its level and significance, as well as the supply and demand factors associated with medicalization. They also explored interventions and alternative approaches that may prevent medicalization and the sustenance of the practice of FGM/C, including re-infibulation. The study finds …

Shifts In Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting In Kenya: Perspectives Of Families And Health Care Providers, Samuel Kimani, Caroline W. Kabiru

Reproductive Health

Despite compelling reasons and efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Kenya, the practice has persisted, albeit with some changes. This study sought to understand the shifts in FGM/C among families and healthcare providers from selected Kenyan communities that practice FGM/C. Our findings highlight similarities and differences across three distinct Kenyan communities. FGM/C appears to persist through two models: first, shifts (changes) in the practice, notably cutting at a younger age, lesser cutting; and second, through stability and consistency with minimal change. The two diverse models appear to rely on and sustain social norms that support FGM/C in these …

Tracing Change In Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: Shifting Norms And Practices Among Communities In Narok And Kisii Counties, Kenya, Dennis Matanda, Chantalle Okondo, Caroline W. Kabiru, Bettina Shell-Duncan

Reproductive Health

In Kenya, there has been a steady and marked decline in the prevalence of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) but there is great variance in the prevalence of FGM/C across the country, with prevalence remaining high among certain ethnic groups such as Somali, Samburu, Kisii, and the Maasai. The objectives of this study were: 1) to explore whether and how unprogrammed factors or programmed FGM/C interventions (alternative rites of passage, legal and policy measures, religious-oriented approaches, promotion of girls’ education, intergenerational dialogues, use of rescue centers, and other undocumented approaches) influence community values deliberation in Narok and Kisii counties; 2) to …

Trends In Medicalisation Of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: What Do The Data Reveal?, Bettina Shell-Duncan, Carolyne Njue, Zhuzhi Moore

Reproductive Health

Despite the emergence of international consensus that female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a violation of human rights, a focus on medicalization remains salient because of concerns that FGM/C is increasingly being performed by healthcare professionals and may be impeding progress toward abandonment of FGM/C. To investigate these claims, this study draws on nationally representative survey data from 26 countries, and addresses the following three questions: 1) What are the major patterns and trends in medicalisation? 2) Is there an association between medicalization and rates of change in prevalence of FGM/C? and 3) Is there an association between medicalization and support …

Understanding Medicalisation Of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (Fgm/C): A Qualitative Study Of Parents And Health Workers In Nigeria, Otibho Obianwu, Adetayo Adetunji, Osasuyi Dirisu

Reproductive Health

This community-based, cross-sectional qualitative study was conducted in four communities in Nigeria’s Delta, and was conceptualized to address gaps in our understanding of medicalization of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and to provide critical evidence needed to effectively design abandonment interventions. The study findings reveal that the social norms driving FGM/C practice remain entrenched despite a shift to medicalization. They also reflect the tendency of parents and health workers to view FGM/C, whether traditional or medicalized, as a minor procedure with few complications and significant benefits that would positively impact a daughter’s future status as a wife and mother. Findings reveal …

Understanding The Key Elements For Designing And Implementing Social Marketing Campaigns To Inform The Development Of Creative Approaches For Fgm/C Abandonment In Sudan, Widad Ali A/Rahman, Samia Al Nagar, Randa H. Gindeel, Arwa Salah

Reproductive Health

Social marketing campaigns (SMCs) have gained prominence in female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) abandonment efforts, but there is a dearth of information on how these programs are designed and implemented, and their perceived impact. Understanding the implementation process and the effectiveness of these campaigns is critical for drawing lessons to improve existing programs and inform the design and scale up of SMCs in other regions/countries. This mixed-method study sought to address this gap by assessing the design and implementation of existing SMC programs in Sudan. While the study findings demonstrate several strengths of existing programs, including strong partnerships and extensive needs …

“Well, Don’T Walk Around Naked... Unless You’Re A Girl”: Gender, Sexuality, And Risk In Jamtronica Festival Subcultural Scenes, Kaitlyne A. Motl

Theses and Dissertations--Sociology

The purpose of this study was to explore emerging issues surrounding gendered fear, threat, and violence perpetration at music festivals – particularly events that feature a synthesis of jam band and electronic dance music acts – a genre termed jamtronica by its fans. Though gendered violence perpetration and prevention have been widely studied within other party-oriented settings (i.e., sexual violence perpetration on college campuses), very little research exists to address how wider disparities of gender and sexuality permeate a community whose members frequently claim the scene’s immunity from external inequalities.

In this three-year multi-sited ethnography, I incorporate participant observations, group …

The Imprint Of Childhood Abuse On Trauma-Related Shame In Adulthood, Joan A. Reid

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Research has consistently linked residual trauma-related shame among child sexual abuse (CSA) survivors to sexual revictimization, health risk behaviors, and poorer response to mental health treatment. However, questions remain regarding the imprint of childhood maltreatment on trauma-related shame including which CSA characteristics or types of childhood maltreatment contribute to residual shame in adulthood. Using data drawn from a prospective study of 174 primarily African American women with histories of CSA and a matched comparison group, this study explores whether specific characteristics of CSA (familial CSA, CSA with penetration, force used by CSA perpetrator), repeat sexual victimization in adolescence, childhood physical …

Pololeo Y Protección: Las Barreras De Acceso A Métodos Anticonceptivos Para Adolescentes Vulnerables En La Comuna De Macul, Santiago De Chile / Pololeo Y Protección: Barriers To Access Contraceptive Methods For Vulnerable Adolescents In The District Of Macul, Santiago De Chile, Louisa Boswell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El embarazo adolescente sigue siendo un problema de salud pública al nivel nacional en Chile. Aunque por ley, todos tienen el derecho a una educación sexual y a elegir un método de control de fecundidad, todavía existen casos de embarazos no planificados, particularmente entre adolescentes. Este estudio investigó las barreras que limitan el acceso a métodos anticonceptivos para adolescentes, enfocando primariamente en el sistema público en la Región Metropolitana. Específicamente, la investigación consideró las adolescentes de la comuna de Macul, utilizando muestras de un colegio local y dos centros de salud familiar para hacer conclusiones. La investigadora entrevistó a matronas …

Sex Work And Compromised Health: Health Conditions And The Barriers To Accessing Treatment Services In Pelourinho, Salvador, Amelia Fox

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Sex workers remain one of the most marginalized populations in Brazilian society, both coming from and living within realities defined by poverty and poor health. Through partnership with Força Feminina – an organization located in Salvador, dedicated to aiding local sex workers– I explored the day-to-day health complications sex workers encounter and the impact these problems have on quality of life. I then questioned how discrimination and stigma impact a woman’s willingness to prioritize her health and seek out healthcare services. To pursue these questions, I utilized participant observation, interviews with 4 staff members – a pastoral educator, financial coordinator, …

The Latex Journey: A Narrative Approach To Exploring Condom Use, Stigma, And Education From The Perspective Of Women In Masxha, Kylie Yocum

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Although the South African National Department of Health (NDOH) is spending increasing amounts of money on improving their HIV programs (including the rollout of new, scented condoms for their condom distribution program), the rates of condom use at last sexual encounter are declining. This inquiry focused on young women in the neighborhood of Masxha, Cato Manor, and their opinions surrounding how condoms are being used or misused, as well as the gender norms that perpetrate this (mis)use. This inquiry demonstrated the narratives of these young women on factors such as condom acquisition, gendered stigma, and condom education, including the Life …

Evaluating The Term ‘Disorders Of Sex Development’: A Multidisciplinary Debate, Natalie Delimata Phd, Margaret Simmonds Phd, Michelle O'Brien Msc, Georgiann Davis Phd, Richard Auchus Md, Phd, Karen Lin-Su Md

Sociology Faculty Research

In 2014, almost 10 years after the 2005 International Consensus Conference on Intersex in Chicago,1 one of the conference co-organisers, under the auspices of a number of international paediatric endocrinology societies, launched the Global DSD Update to assess progress. A consortium of fourteen work groups conducted online/email discussions to explore each of the fourteen key topics, one of which was use of the controversial medical umbrella term ‘Disorders of Sex Development (DSD)’. The initial key question for Work Group 1 (referred to hereafter as WG1) was to reconsider the nomenclature. Nineteen individuals from a variety of professional backgrounds, including medical …

Exploring Men's Motivations And Restraints In Repeated Extramarital Sex, Casey Marie Stinley

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The influence of extramarital sex (EMS) on marriage has been a topic of discussion in the research community for over 30 years. This thesis explored the influences that drive the EMS participants’ decisions, whether to abstain, continue while in the marriage, or to leave the marriage, and, those influences that affect whether they later participate in EMS or not. This study also used individual semi-structured interviews of ex-husbands who have participated in EMS in the past, as well as husbands who are participating in EMS currently. The four men interviewed were from southwest Missouri. The interviews were reviewed to identify …