Gender and Sexuality Commons^™

When Girls' Lives Matter: Ending Forced And Early Marriage In Cameroon, Sajeda Amin, Andrea Lynch

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The program presented in this case study, the Association for the Struggle Against Violence Against Women (ALVF, from its name in French) in Cameroon, provides counseling, language and literacy training, economic support, and empowerment activities for girls who have fled (or been thrown out of) early or forced marriages to help them overcome their adversities. ALVF also seeks to bring about broader social change by highlighting in the public sphere—as well as among parents and husbands—the plight of girls who were married early and/or by force. Hence, ALVF’s prevention strategy is based on a broad understanding of the perceptions, expectations, …

It's All One Curriculum: Guidelines For A Unified Approach To Sexuality, Gender, Hiv, And Human Rights Education [Chinese], International Sexuality And Hiv Curriculum Working Group, Nicole Haberland, Deborah Rogow

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Education on sexuality and HIV can help adolescents develop the capacity for healthy, respectful relationships and protect themselves from unwanted and unsafe sex, unintended pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections. A 2015 Population Council study found that sexuality and HIV education programs that address gender and power in intimate relationships are five times more likely to be effective than programs that do not. However, most curricula still do not address these issues. “It’s All One Curriculum” provides a rationale, content, and sample activities for placing gender and rights at the center of sexuality and HIV curricula—both as stand-alone modules and integrated …

Addis Birhan Project: Working With Boys And Men To Address Young Girls' Social Vulnerability, Annabel Erulkar, Louis Apicella, Abebaw Ferede

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

In Ethiopia, the Ethiopia Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Amhara Regional Bureau of Youth and Sports, and the Population Council implemented programs for vulnerable girls. As these programs increased in popularity, demand for support programs arose from husbands. Qualitative, in-depth interviews were undertaken among adolescents, men, and women in the Amhara Region, exploring the roles of men and women, risk-taking behavior, and patterns of HIV and reproductive health vulnerability. Addis Birhan (“New Light”), a program of the Regional Bureaus of Youth and Sports in Amhara and Tigray and the Population Council for rural men in Ethiopia, targets married men …

Protecting Young People From Sex Without Consent, Shireen J. Jejeebhoy

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Over the last decade, a growing body of evidence has laid to rest any illusion that the young are protected from unwanted sexual advances or forced sex both within and outside of marriage. Studies have established the prevalence of unwanted sex within marriage among young women and its risk factors; the association between poverty and forced sex among adolescent girls in South Africa; levels and correlates of forced sex reported by young people in Ethiopia and Kenya. Evidence has established that sex without consent among the young exists in every region of the world, and that girls, as well as …

Empowering Adolescent Girls In Rural Bangladesh: Kishori Abhijan, Sajeda Amin

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

In 2001, UNICEF initiated a pilot intervention to test whether livelihoods opportunities could ameliorate early marriage and other adverse outcomes for girls in rural Bangladesh. Kishori Abhijan (“Adolescent Girls’ Adventure”) aimed to lower school dropout rates, increase girls’ independent economic activity, and raise the age at which girls marry. Life-skills training consisted of enhancing self-esteem and leadership skills and providing education related to gender roles and discrimination, health and nutrition, and legislation and legal rights, particularly early marriage and girls’ and women’s rights. Livelihoods training included vocational skills. As noted in Promoting Healthy, Safe, and Productive Transitions to Adulthood Brief …

Girls' Schooling In Developing Countries: Highlights From Population Council Research, Cynthia B. Lloyd

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

As more girls from developing countries attend school into their teens, the importance of schooling experiences and school quality for adolescent sexual and reproductive health, as well as for girls’ successful transitions to adult roles, is clear. The Population Council’s research on schooling seeks to foster a deeper understanding of the patterns and trends in schooling for girls and more particularly the relationship between experiences in school, school quality, and various adolescent outcomes. Promoting Healthy, Safe, and Productive Transitions to Adulthood Brief No. 24 summarizes highlights from this research program under five subtopics: the demography of schooling; school attendance and …

Expanding Safe Spaces, Financial Education, And Savings For Adolescent Girls In Kenya, Karen Austrian

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Almost 1 billion people around the globe live in urban informal settlements, or “slums.” In Kenya, 60 percent of Nairobi’s nearly 3 million inhabitants live in slum areas characterized by high levels of poverty and HIV. Kibera is the largest of these slums. Life is particularly perilous for adolescent girls in slums, as they make their transition to adulthood. Girls are several times more likely than their male age-mates to become infected with HIV, and sexual initiation for girls often occurs in the context of violence and coercion. Poverty is a driving force behind these and other vulnerabilities. As described …

Investigating School Quality And Learning Outcomes Among Adolescents In Malawi, Christine A. Kelly

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Education, particularly at the primary level, has long been regarded as an essential input of social and economic development. In addition to its role in increasing the cognitive abilities of students, schooling is recognized as a facilitator of labor force participation, female empowerment, improved health outcomes, and greater civic engagement. As one of the early pioneers in sub-Saharan Africa of free primary education, Malawi’s enrollment figures compare favorably with those of its neighbors in southern Africa. However, as noted in Promoting Healthy, Safe, and Productive Transitions to Adulthood Brief No. 34, primary school completion rates stand at just 35 percent, …

La Estrategia Del Population Council: Promoción De Transiciones A La Vida Adulta Sanas, Seguras Y Productivas, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Este informe sobre la “Promoción de transiciones a la edad adulta: Sanas, seguras y productivas” proporciona una visión general del enfoque del Population Council sobre los adolescentes que comenzó a principios de la década de 1990. El enfoque se ha visto acompañado por un compromiso de trasladar el campo de la investigación y los programas de adolescentes de uno que a menudo se enfoca en la sexualidad, la salud reproductiva y el comportamiento a uno que contemple los problemas sociales y económicos más amplios que constituyen la base de la salud y el bienestar de los adolescentes. En 1998, con …

Preparación De Las Niñas Mayas Para Mejorar Su Calidad De Vida, Jennifer Catino, Alejandra Colom, Marta Julia Ruiz

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

La población de Guatemala es más pobre, menos educada, de crecimiento más acelerado y étnicamente más diversa que la mayoría de los demás países en América Latina. Las tasas de fertilidad y mortalidad infantil del país son unas de las más altas en la región. Casi la mitad de la población de Guatemala es aborigen, y más de 20 grupos étnicos mayas viven en áreas rurales aisladas, con acceso limitado a servicios básicos como agua, higiene, caminos escuelas y cuidado de la salud. Las niñas mayas son el grupo menos favorecido del país, que llevan vidas caracterizadas por una escolaridad …

Retarder Le Mariage Précoce Chez Les Filles Défavorisées En Milieu Rural Dans La Région Amhara, En Éthiopie, Grâce Au Soutien Social, À L'Éducation Et À La Sensibilisation Des Communautés, Eunice N. Muthengi, Annabel Erulkar

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

L'Éthiopie affiche des taux extrêmement élevés de mariage d'enfants et une épidémie de VIH qui touche les femmes de façon disproportionnée. Dans la région rurale d'Amhara, 50% des filles sont mariées avant l’âge de 15 ans et plus de 80% sont mariées avant l’âge de 18 ans. Les chercheurs ont réalisé une enquête auprès de plus de 1800 adolescentes dans la région d'Amhara. Sur la base des conclusions, en 2004, le Bureau Régional de la Jeunesse et des Sports d'Amhara et le Population Council ont créé le projet Berhane Hewan («Light for Eve»). L'objectif de Berhane Hewan est la mise …

Biruh Tesfa Procure Aux Employées Domestiques, Aux Orphelines Et Aux Immigrantes Des Zones Urbaines Éthiopiennes Une Assistance Sociale, Une Formation Sur Le Vih Ainsi Qu'un Programme De Développement Des Compétences, Annabel Erulkar, Belaynesh Semunegus, Gebeyehu Mekonnen

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

En Éthiopie, l'épidémie de VIH se révèle de plus importante en milieu urbaine et chez la population féminine. On estime que 7,7% de la population urbaine d'Éthiopie est séropositive, par rapport à moins de 1% de la population rurale. À l'échelle nationale, le rapport femme/homme en termes d'infection par le VIH est de 3 à 2. Il est possible que les filles qui migrent depuis les zones rurales vers les milieux urbains soient moins protégées, plus vulnérables à la violence et aux agressions sexuelles, et également moins bien équipées pour se prémunir contre ces situations d’abus (toutes susceptibles d’accroître le …

Élargir L'Accès Des Adolescentes Aux Espaces Sécurisés, À L'Éducation Financière Et Aux Produits D'Épargne Au Kenya, Karen Austrian

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Près d'un milliard de personnes vivent dans des implantations urbaines sauvages et informelles, à savoir des «bidonvilles». Au Kenya, 60% des quelques 3 millions d’habitants de Nairobi vivent dans des taudis caractérisés par des niveaux élevés de pauvreté et de VIH. Kibera est le plus grand de ces bidonvilles. La vie est particulièrement dangereuse pour les adolescentes dans les bidonvilles, car elles font leur transition vers l'âge adulte. Les filles sont davantage susceptibles que les garçons du même âge d'être infectées par le VIH, et l'initiation sexuelle des jeunes filles se produit souvent dans le contexte de violence et de …

Factors Of Career Mobility In Egypt By Gender, May Gadallah

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This Population Council working paper describes the opportunity cost of women’s participation in the labor market in Egypt, a critical determinant of not only participating in the labor market, but also of continuing in it. The paper observes career mobility and job-to-job turnover by gender; it also looks at career development over a period of time and analyzes the impact of different factors on career development. The importance of the results increases with the privatization trend in the Egyptian economy. Findings show that 90 percent of women work in the public sector where career paths are similar regardless of gender; …

Female Genital Mutilation Practices In Kenya: The Role Of Alternative Rites Of Passage. A Case Study Of Kisii And Kuria Districts, Habil Oloo, Monica Wanjiru, Katy Newell-Jones

Reproductive Health

This research was undertaken by the Population Council to better understand female genital mutilation (FGM) as currently practiced by the Kuria and Kisii communities in Kenya. The study investigated current attitudes and practices in relation to FGM, awareness and attitudes toward the alternative rite of passage (ARP), and factors which encourage individuals to make decisions to abandon FGM. The findings show that FGM is still a celebrated public event among the Kuria, whereas in Kisii, it is a private family affair. The study suggests that the success of ARP as an approach to abandoning FGM is strongly dependent on the …

The Prevention And Management Of Hiv And Sexual And Gender-Based Violence: Responding To The Needs Of Survivors And Those-At-Risk, Sarah Raifman, Ian Askew, Sajeda Amin, Jill Keesbury, Saiqa Mullick, Judith A. Diers, Meiwita P. Budiharsana, Chi-Chi Undie, Mary Zama, Mantshi Menziwa, Sherry Hutchinson, Naomi Rutenberg

Reproductive Health

The Population Council seeks to understand the social, economic, political, and physical context of risks for sexual and gender-based violence and HIV. Among the top priorities of Council research are supporting and evaluating efforts to prevent violence and HIV, including creating safe spaces for adolescent girls, and working with men and boys to change gender norms within the community; and comprehensively responding to the needs of survivors (including those who are HIV-infected) by strengthening health systems and integrating services. The purpose of this guide is to provide practical guidance on the steps necessary to establish and strengthen sexual violence (SV) …

Systematic Sexual Violence By U.S. State Agencies: A Victimology Approach, Sarah Brightman

Dissertations

Women experience sexual violence at the hands of the United States military, police, corrections officers and border patrol agents. The study of state crime has been expanding rapidly in criminological research, however there has been little attention paid to its victims, particularly women, and especially to women's sexual victimization. The purpose of this research is to expand current research to develop a gendered analysis of state crimes in the context of sexual violence against women. This research applies Kauzlarich, Matthews and Miller's (2001) six propositions of a Victimology of State Crime to four cases of sexual victimization by U.S. agencies. …

Understanding The Dimensions Of Spirituality In Caucasian Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual College Students, Michele L. Mcgrady

Dissertations

Spiritual development is a critical task for college students, but there is a paucity of information about how college students understand the construct of spirituality. Historically, organized religion has been oppressive to the lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) community. Furthermore, little is known about the spiritual understandings and spiritual experiences of lesbian, gay, and bisexual college students. This quantitative investigation sought to understand the underlying dimensions of spirituality for Caucasian LGB college students through the use of multidimensional scaling. Sixty Caucasian LGB college students were recruited through purposeful and snowball sampling. Findings indicate three dimensions of spirituality for this sample: …

European Kinship: Eastern European Women Go To Market, Anca Parvulescu

Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Reality Television And Its Impact On Women's Body Image, Ayarza Manwaring

Online Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has found that both print media and television may affect the body image of young women. Tiggerman and Pickering (1996) found that it was not just the amount of television viewed, but the viewing of appearance focused shows that affected body image. Schooler, Ward, Merriwether and Caruthers (2004) came to the conclusion that women's viewing of shows with predominantly white casts lead to greater body dissatisfaction. To date, no investigations have looked at a new and popular genre, categorized as, `reality television'. The purpose of this study was examine the effects of viewing this new genre and its …

Play Education Video Games On Their Terms, Wendi M. Kappers

Publications

It is imperative when utilizing educational video games in K-12 classrooms that student preferences with regard to game play, purpose, and design be considered in order to maximize game play efficiency for learning. As Web 2.0 content infiltrates our educational medium, student customization is key. This manuscript intends to share customization requests gleaned during an 18-week experimental study examining educational video game effects upon 7th graders enrolled in Mathematics and Mathematics 2 courses.

Labor Pains In The Academy, Lisa M. Tillmann Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

This piece offers autoethnographic reflections on crossroads to which many academics come: whether to seek (or postpone or avoid) parenthood and when. The author deeply explores the personal (her own trajectories from daughter and sister to potential mother and from graduate student to full professor) in order to reflect on structural constraints associated with graduate education, the academic job market, and institutional policies and politics.

Enough Hope To Spare: The Transformative Experience Of Birth Parents As Leaders In Child Welfare, Nicole R. Bossard

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study explores the transformative experience from client and service recipient to collaborative leader and partner in child welfare. Rather than expanding on existing literature that examines the nature and quality of the client experience from a service or customer satisfaction perspective, this study reflects the lived experiences of "real, bonafide" birth parent leaders in child welfare systems in the State of Kansas, several counties in Washington state, and Contra Costa County, California. The goal of the study is to illuminate the journey from clienthood to leadership as experienced by the nine birth parent leaders in the study through research …

Socio-Economic Stability And Independence Of Appalachian Women, Michele Dawn Kegley

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study researched Appalachian women who were in emotional, social, or economic reliant relationships with male spouses and became socio-economically stable and independent. This effort is to give Appalachian women voice and learn from their accounts of how they led change by financially, physically, and socially providing for themselves and their dependent children. Research is limited to a particular group of white middle class Appalachian women in the North-Central sub-region of Appalachia. This group was chosen because they have been largely overlooked in the literature. However, this study does not answer questions of all women‘s experiences and barriers in Appalachia. …

The Sexual Health Of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, And Questioning Youth, L. Kris Gowen

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Although persons of different sexual and gender orientations often get grouped together under the term “LGBTQ” (for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning), it is important to distinguish between subpopulations based on sexual vs. gender orientation. A person’s sexual orientation is the gender to which a person is emotionally, romantically, and sexually attracted. Gender identity is how a person self-identifies as a particular gender regardless of biological sex characteristics. “Transgender” describes persons who are born a certain sex, but identify with, and consequently wish to live as, a different gender than the sex their anatomy dictates. According to data from …

Body Image And Body Type Preferences In St. Kitts, Caribbean: A Cross- Cultural Comparison With U.S. Samples Regarding Attitudes Towards Muscularity, Body Fat, And Breast Size, Peter B. Gray, David Frederick

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

We investigated body image in St. Kitts, a Caribbean island where tourism, international media, and relatively high levels of body fat are common. Participants were men and women recruited from St. Kitts (n = 39) and, for comparison, U.S. samples from universities (n = 618) and the Internet (n = 438). Participants were shown computer generated images varying in apparent body fat level and muscularity or breast size and they indicated their body type preferences and attitudes. Overall, there were only modest differences in body type preferences between St. Kitts and the Internet sample, with the St. Kitts participants being …

Transforming Lives: Exploring The Impact Of Transitioning On Female-To-Male Transpersons And Partners Of Female-To-Male Transpersons, Megan Marie Tesene

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Recent trends in gender scholarship point to an increased research focus on transidentified persons. However, the majority of it revolves around the experiences of transpersons as individuals while ignoring the influence that transitioning has on intimacy in personal relationships. Furthermore, while previous research on FtM transpersons tends to emphasize the benefits that transmen receive from transitioning, the current study focuses on some of its negative implications. Through ten semi-structured, in-depth interviews, this research explores the experiences of four transmen and six partners of transmen who were involved in a romantic relationship during the transition process. My findings indicate that transitioning …

Mate Preferences In The Us And Singapore: A Cross-Cultural Test Of The Mate Preference Priority Model, Norman P. Li, Katherine A. Valentine, Lily Patel

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Sex differences have been found in mate preferences across several decades. Especially for long-term partners, men tend to value physical attractiveness and women tend to value social status. However, the sexes both value various other traits even more highly. Such findings thus diminish the importance of the sex differences and challenge the theoretical importance that evolutionary psychologists place on physical attractiveness and social status. Using a budget allocation methodology to examine mate preferences in both the US and Singapore, we found not only the usual sex differences, but also evidence that men prioritize physical attractiveness and women prioritize social status …

“I Would Feel Uncomfortable If My Child’S Teacher Were Gay”: Examining The Role Of Symbolic Homophobia And Political Affiliation, Michael Moore, Amy C. Moors

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Symbolic homophobia is a general negative disposition towards lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals, which is demonstrated in symbolic forms of prejudice rather than overt actions. Stigma towards lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals has transformed from overt forms of prejudice to slightly less blatant more subtle forms in recent years (Schafer & Shaw, 2009). Based on previous research, it is has also been shown that conservatives will have higher levels of symbolic homophobia. (Linneman, 2004), Thus, in order to assess the more nuanced forms of prejudice in relation to political affiliation, Study 1 created a scale to assess symbolic homophobia. …

Segundo Barrio: Rich, Poor, Or Both?, Julie Anne Krill

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This manuscript describes an exploratory study which was undertaken in Segundo Barrio; a historic neighborhood in El Paso, Texas. The purpose of the study was to identify formal and informal sources of social support through the perceptions of female residents in different stages of life. This community, while economically disadvantaged, has unique characteristics and resources and the researcher was interested in seeing how different age groups perceive them.

Guiding Research Questions:

What sources of social support do residents of Segundo Barrio identify as key sources of support within their neighborhood, Greater El Paso, and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua?

* Social …