GirlsRead! Zambia

  • R Research Project/Report/Study

I Inactive

Key Information

GirlsRead! assessed an untested approach to bolstering literacy among adolescent girls; the program combined “safe space” groups, digital technology — e-readers designed for rural settings in low-income countries — and community engagement. The groups met nearly weekly over a period of six months, and were led by two trained female mentors, a teacher at the school and a community member. There were 19 group sessions held during the school term, after regular school hours. An empowerment-based curriculum covered human rights, gender equality and norms, sexual harassment, prevention of HIV, pregnancy and contraception, communication skills, self-esteem and decision making, and financial education. E-reader activities took place within safe space groups. Each girl received her own e-reader loaded with approximately 100 books – primarily fiction written by African authors curated to be engaging to young people and were charged using locally-sourced solar panels installed on school roofs. The books varied in reading level from very basic readers to more sophisticated novels, many of which include strong female protagonists and non-traditional gender roles and mirrored themes in the empowerment curriculum. They were written in English, the official language of instruction in that grade and the language of the primary school leaving exam. Girls kept the e-readers for the duration of the project, were permitted to take them home after the second session and were encouraged to read both on their own and with siblings and caregivers. Four community engagement trainings were conducted with adults who influence girls’ opportunities and attitudes toward education.


Lead Implementing Organization(s)

Location(s)

Sub-Saharan Africa

Zambia

Government Affiliation

Non-governmental program

Years

2016 - 2019

Ministry Affiliation

Unknown

Funder(s)

DREAMS Innovation Challenge

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

  • Primary to secondary transition

Other skills

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

Skills

  • Literacy

Cross-cutting areas

  • Empowerment
  • Gender equality
  • Sexual harassment & coercion
  • Social and gender norms and beliefs

Program participants

Target Audience(s)

Girls in school, Youth

Age

10 - 18

School Enrolment Status

All in school

School Level

  • Upper primary

Other populations reached

Not applicable or unknown

Participants include

Not applicable or unknown

Program Approaches Back to Top

Community engagement/advocacy/sensitization

  • General awareness-raising/community engagement

Educational Technology

  • Digital reading materials (non-textbook)

Life skills education

  • Gender, rights and power
  • Negotiation skills
  • Sexual and reproductive health (including puberty education)
  • Social and emotional learning (SEL) skills building

Mentoring/psychosocial support

  • Adult (non-teacher) mentors
  • Teachers as mentors

Social/gender norms change

  • Engaging parents/caregivers of students or school-age children/adolescents
  • Work with community leaders

Tutoring/strengthening academic skills

  • Literacy - outside the classroom

Women's empowerment programs

  • Empowerment training

Program Goals Back to Top

Education goals

  • Improved academic skills (literacy and numeracy)
  • Increased progression to secondary school

Cross-cutting goals

  • Improved understanding of sexual harassment, coercion, and consent
  • Increased agency and empowerment
  • Increased knowledge of HIV, puberty, and sexual and reproductive health
  • Increased knowledge of rights
  • More equitable gender attitudes and norms

Additional Information Back to Top

Primary Contact

Barbara Mensch
Population Council
Senior Associate
bmensch@popcouncil.org