Coalition for Adolescent GirlsQuarterly Webinar

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Agenda• Welcome and Introductions• General CAG Updates• CAG Member Updates• Learning Session: Integrating Adolescent Girls into

Multi-Sectoral ProgramsPresentation by Amy Spindler, Adolescent Girl and

Youth Advisor, and Allison Shean, Gender and Resilience Research Officer, of Mercy Corps

• Presentation Q&A• Conclusions

General CAG Updates

Technical Consultation on Adolescent Girl Engagement

• Held an external stakeholder Technical Consultation on Adolescent Girl Engagement on March 6, 2015 in NYC

• Co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Canada, Peru, and Zambia, USAID, and the Working Group on Girls

Technical Consultation on Adolescent Girl Engagement

• Fifty-two participants, eighteen of whom were adolescent girls and young women, attended the daylong consultation

• Participants discussed and generated promising practices, indicators, and tools regarding girl engagement

• Next step is to use the learning from the consultations and e-forums to create an Adolescent Girl Engagement Tool

New Working Groups• CAG Working Groups (WGs) are now task-

focused and time-bound • Each WG will have a manager and work off of

a clear mandate and timeline• Four new working groups will focus on, – Adolescent Girl Engagement Tool– CAG Adolescent Girl Engagement Strategy– CAG Framework and Topical Briefs– USG Adolescent Girls Strategy

New Working Groups, cont…• Adolescent Girl Engagement Tool– Will complete the girl engagement tool and plan its

launch– Non-CAG members will also be asked to participate– Set to begin mid-April and end in late October

• CAG Adolescent Girl Engagement Strategy– Will formulate a strategy for how the CAG can

engage adolescent girls in future activities and operations

– Set to begin mid-April and end in mid-June

New Working Groups cont…

• CAG Framework and Topical Briefs– Will complete the CAG framework and

accompanying one-page topical briefs on health, safety, empowerment, and human rights

– Set to begin in late April and end in late August• USG Adolescent Girls Strategy– Will plan and execute the CAG’s participation in

the formation and launch of the USG’s adolescent girl strategy

– Timeframe is currently unknown

New Working Groups, cont…

If you are interested in leading or participating in one of the working groups, please contact Sacha

at coordinatorcag@gmail.com as soon as possible.

CAG Member Updates

Member Updates

At this point we would love to hear from members about their current projects, recent publications, upcoming events, or any other

news they wish to share.

Learning Session

Saving and improving lives in the world’s toughest places.Saving and improving lives in the world’s toughest places.

Integrating Girls into Multi-Sectoral Programs

Amy Spindler, Adolescent Girl and Youth Advisor Allison Shean, Gender and Resilience Research Officer

Goal: To reduce insecurity and malnutrition among vulnerable rural populations in Niger.

Case Study: Sawki in Niger

How many of you support programming that:

Specifically targets only adolescent girls.

Integrates girls into a larger program. Food security and/or agriculture Economic development and/or livelihoods Conflict management and/or emergency response Health WASH

Starting with data to identify the most vulnerable

Niger tops the charts in child marriage by age 15

School enrollment in Niger

EARLY enough to keep girls in school and build their health, social, and economic assets

When to intervene?

In school

Married as a child

Has child

Percent of Guatemalan girls ages 10–19, by outcome

Source: Hallman, K., S. Peracca, J. Catino, M.J. Ruiz. 2005. “Causes of low school achievement and early transition to adulthood in Guatemala.” New York: Population Council.

% of girls 10-14 not in school and not living with either parent in Niger

Highest rates reaching 16.5% in the Zinder

region

Estimated number of girls at the national level is 140,867

Poor health outcomes for children born

from adolescent

moms

Very low rates of school

attendance for girls

School enrollment

for rural girls drops off at age

12/13

Very high rates of

child marriageFirst sex

largely occurs within

marriage

First birth is a high risk

birth

Adolescent girls’ bodies not ready

for childbirth

What are the take-aways?

Adolescent girls emerge as a must-have target group in order to make the greatest impact on their future

children’s nutrition and survival

SO1: Reduce chronic malnutrition among pregnant and lactating women and children under five with an emphasis on children under 2

IR1.1: Pregnant women, mothers and caretakers adopt appropriate nutrition practices during their children’s first 1,000 days

IR1.2: Health centers and other community staff promote and respond efficiently and appropriately to community demand for counseling and care

IR1.3: Adolescents adopt appropriate nutrition practices and healthy timing of first pregnancy

Translating the data into program design

Pre-set MC created

IR1.3: Adolescent girls adopt appropriate nutrition practices and healthy timing of first pregnancy

Target Segment

Activities Gatekeepers Purpose

Girls ages 10-14, unmarried, out of school girls

Safe spaces for girls

Parents, Community and religious leaders

Build their social capital, nutritional practices, inform girls of the risks of child marriage/early birth

Girls ages 15-19, married out of school girls

Safe spaces for girls

Husbands, Mother-in-laws

Build their social capital, discuss contraceptives, negotiation, healthy birth spacing and healthy infant feeding practices, VSLA and functional literacy.

Married young couples

Leader mothers model behavior and support contraception messages

Spouse, leader mothers

Delaying first birth; information on healthy child spacing.

MoH Ensure the GoN provides constant contraceptive supply

Ensure health centers are able to keep up with potential new demand for contraceptives based on education and couples counseling.

Gatekeepers: How did we OPEN the door?

VillageChiefs

CommunityMeetings

Meeting with girls

Meetmentors

Organizegirls into safe spaces

Individual follow-up with skeptics

What is the reality on the ground?

• 2,859 girls participate weekly in safe spaces.

• 115 safe spaces in 56

communities.

• 170 mentors in place.

• “Husband Schools” in partnership with the safe spaces.

• Girls adopting healthy practices (e.g., exclusive breastfeeding).

• Communities changing mindset about early marriage.

• Better understanding of the consequences of early marriage.

• Girls see the value of education and alternative pathways for their life.

• Girls have savings through VSLAs.

• Mentors have gained status in society; girls have advocates.

• Girls have forged friendships and new support networks.

• Girls have improved decision-making in the home.

The challenges• Finding appropriate time and space.

• Husbands originally prohibited girls participation.

• Field agents are primarily male.

• Families want to see tangible benefits.

• Dependence on Gender Advisor as “owner” of safe spaces.

• Mentors need structure and support.

• Objectives in the proposal do not always translate into actual programming, nor does it mean the team has knowledge on how to implement.

RISING Research

Building the evidence base for best practices in girl-centered programs to ensure that they effectively and efficiently improve the lives of girls around the world.

How many of you:

Are involved with research the examines the impact of programming on adolescent girls?

Are interested in tools that help determine program impact on adolescent girls?

Key research questions

• Does content covered in

Sawki’s safe spaces lead to improved health, nutrition and food security outcomes for girls?

• Do we see any additional improvements to outcomes when safe space programming is coupled with livelihood support?

Outcomes of interest

• Health and nutrition knowledge and behavior – Reproductive health

• Confidence and aspirations

• Social capital and access to safety nets

• Income generation and earning ability

• Status and decision-making ability

Research design• Mixed-methods approach• Quantitative study conducted in 18 Sawki

communities– Girl Survey– Household Survey

• Qualitative research with girls, mentors, and gatekeepers

• Opportunity for Randomized Control Trial

Comparison Group

No ongoing programming

Treatment Group I – Safe Space Only

Programming began June 2014

Treatment Group II – Safe Space plus Livelihood

Training

Programming began June 2013

Early 2015 Survey 500 girlsHeads of HH

6 Sawki Communities

250 girlsHeads of HH

6 Sawki Communities

250 girlsHeads of HH

6 Sawki Communties

RANDOM LOTTERY SELECTION WITH COMPARISON GROUP

April 2015 Control Treatment

250 girls do not receive

program

250 girls receive

program

Mid-2016 Survey 250 girlsHeads of HH

250 girlsHeads of HH

250 girls Heads of HH

250 girlsHeads of HH

Qualitative Research • FGDs with adolescent girls• FGDs with gatekeepers – husbands, parents, etc.• FGDs/KIIs with safe space mentors

Quantitative toolsAdolescent Girl Survey

10 modules• HH Assets and Access• Health and Nutrition

– Includes Dietary Diversity

• Confidence and Aspirations• Time Use• Social Capital and Safety Nets• Coping Strategies• Income Sources and

Economic Well-Being• Financial Literacy• Reproductive Health• Decision-making and

Influence

Head of HH Survey6 modules• Program Exposure• Progress Out of Poverty• Shocks and Recovery• Food Consumption and

Insecurity – Household Hunger

Scale– Coping Strategies Index

• Status of Girls• HH Decision-making

Next steps

• Data analysis – spring 2015• RCT begins – spring 2015• Report on initial findings – summer/fall 2015• Follow-up surveys – spring 2016• Qualitative data collection – spring 2016• Final report – summer/fall 2016

Thank you!Questions?

Conclusions

Conclusions• A big thank you to all our participants and our

wonderful presenters, Amy Spindler and Allison Shean!

• If you would like more information about CAG-related activities or the working groups, please contact Sacha at coordinatorcag@gmail.com.

• If you would like more information about the learning session, please contact Amy at aspindler@mercycorps.org.