The Impact of Youth Clubs on Women's Empowerment in Niger

  • R Research Project/Report/Study

? Activity Status: Unknown

Key Information

In collaboration with the Government of Niger, researchers are evaluating the impact of adolescent girls’ club, young men’s clubs, or both on women’s empowerment outcomes. Espaces Sûrs (ES), or Safe Spaces, provide life skills training for young girls to improve their knowledge related to sex, reproduction, and marriage so that they can make more informed life choices. These clubs host weekly sessions for groups of 25 girls mentored by an older woman. Adolescent girls between the ages of 10 to 19 are eligible to participate, with a focus on girls not currently enrolled in school. In these interactive sessions, girls discuss a variety of topics, including hygiene and health, body and sexuality, managing money and saving, but also self-esteem, decision-making, and public speaking. Additionally, the program involves the community through home visits and community dialogue sessions. Clubs des Futurs Maris (CFM), or Future Husbands Clubs, introduce young men to topics related to women’s empowerment and discuss social norms related to male fertility. The meetings aim to foster attitudes and behaviors that favor women empowerment. These clubs gather non-married men between the ages of 15 and 24. From the 395 villages identified by the implementing NGO, researchers randomized villages into four groups: 1) ES clubs only 2) CFM clubs only 3) Both ES and CFM clubs and 4) comparison. Through surveys, researchers will measure the impact on women’s empowerment through various indicators, including marital status, educational and professional aspirations, educational achievements, labor market outcomes, health knowledge and behaviors.


Lead Implementing Organization(s)

Location(s)

Sub-Saharan Africa

Niger

Government Affiliation

Government-affiliated program

Years

2018 -

Partner(s)

Government of Niger, National Institute of Statistics, Espaces Sûrs (ES) or Safe Spaces Club, Clubs des Futurs Maris (CFM) or Future Husbands Clubs

Ministry Affiliation

Government of Niger

Funder(s)

Not applicable or unknown

COVID-19 Response

Unknown

Geographic Scope

National

Meets gender-transformative education criteria from the TES  

Unknown

Areas of Work Back to Top

Education areas

Attainment

  • Secondary completion

Other

  • Transition from school to work

Other skills

  • Financial literacy
  • Life skills/sexuality education
  • Rights/empowerment education
  • Social and emotional learning

Skills

  • Other academic performance-related

Cross-cutting areas

  • Adolescent pregnancy/childbearing
  • Early/child marriage
  • Economic/livelihoods (including savings/financial inclusion, etc.)
  • Empowerment
  • Gender equality
  • Masculinities/boys
  • Other aspects of sexual and reproductive health
  • Social and gender norms and beliefs

Program participants

Target Audience(s)

Boys (both in school and out of school), Girls (both in school and out of school), Youth

Age

10 - 19

School Enrolment Status

Some in school

School Level

  • N/A

Other populations reached

  • Community leaders

Participants include

Not applicable or unknown

Program Approaches Back to Top

Life skills education

  • Sexual and reproductive health (including puberty education)

Mentoring/psychosocial support

  • Adult (non-teacher) mentors

Other

  • Coordinated Action

Women's empowerment programs

  • Empowerment training

Program Goals Back to Top

Education goals

  • Gender parity and non-discrimination are promoted at all subjects/education levels
  • Increased school completion (general)
  • Increased school enrolment (general)
  • Reduced absenteeism
  • Teachers and learners have the knowledge and skills to promote gender equality

Cross-cutting goals

  • Changed social norms
  • Increased agency and empowerment
  • Increased employment/job-related skills
  • Increased knowledge of HIV, puberty, and sexual and reproductive health
  • Increased knowledge of rights
  • More equal power in relationships
  • More equitable gender attitudes and norms
  • Reduced adolescent pregnancy/childbearing
  • Reduced child marriage
  • Reduced intimate partner violence
  • Reduced poverty/increase household well-being