Girls’ Empowerment through Education and Health (ASPIRE)

  • P Project/Program

I Inactive

Key Information

USAID/Malawi launched the Girls’ Empowerment through Education and Health (ASPIRE) Activity in December 2014, beginning a bold cross-sector investment to improve the achievement of girls in upper primary and secondary school in Malawi. USAID’s investment in ASPIRE recognized that for girls’ to achieve academic success, they must enter and stay in school, be learning and safe while in school, and be healthy and supported by their community at all times. ASPIRE targeted all primary and secondary schools in Malawi’s Balaka, Machinga, and Zomba districts. This included 537 primary and 80 secondary schools. In 2018, ASPIRE reached 361,870 primary learners (185,929 girls) and 38,242 secondary learners (17,674 girls) in these schools. The 617 schools and their catchment communities were the focus for interventions to meet the three ASPIRE objectives: Output 1: Reading skills for girls in upper primary school improved; Output 2: Adoption of positive sexual and healthcare-seeking behaviors among youth ages 10–19 increased; Output 3: Key structural and cultural barriers for girls ages 10–19 decreased.


Lead Implementing Government(s)

Malawi

Location(s)

Sub-Saharan Africa

Malawi

Government Affiliation

Government-affiliated program

Years

2014 - 2018

Partner(s)

Not applicable or unknown

Ministry Affiliation

MoEST Ministry of Education, Science and Technology

COVID-19 Response

Not changed

Geographic Scope

National

Meets gender-transformative education criteria from the TES  

Unknown

Areas of Work Back to Top

Education areas

Attainment

  • Primary completion
  • Primary to secondary transition
  • Secondary completion

Other skills

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

Quality

  • School facilities
  • Teacher training

Skills

  • Literacy

Cross-cutting areas

  • Community sensitization
  • Economic/livelihoods (including savings/financial inclusion, etc.)
  • Empowerment
  • Gender equality
  • HIV and STIs
  • Mentorship
  • WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene)

Program participants

Target Audience(s)

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

Age

10 - 19

School Enrolment Status

Some in school

School Level

  • Upper primary
  • Lower secondary
  • Upper secondary

Other populations reached

  • Teachers - female
  • Teachers - male

Participants include

  • N/A

Program Approaches Back to Top

Health and childcare services

  • Adolescent-friendly health services

Life skills education

  • Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE)

Mentoring/psychosocial support

  • Teachers as mentors

Teaching

  • In-service teacher training – pedagogy general

Water and sanitation

  • Construction/improvement of toilets (combined use)

Program Goals Back to Top

Education goals

  • Improved academic skills (literacy and numeracy)
  • Improved social and emotional learning/skills and mindsets
  • Increased primary school completion
  • Increased re-enrolment in school among out-of-school children
  • Increased secondary school enrolment

Cross-cutting goals

  • Changed social norms
  • Improved sexual and reproductive health
  • More equitable gender attitudes and norms