Each year around the world, almost 13 million girls under the age of 20 give birth, and nearly 1 million of whom are younger than 15. Child marriage is a strong indicator of early birth; 90% of adolescent pregnancies in the developing world are to girls who are already married; and married adolescents are more likely to experience frequent and early pregnancies than their unmarried peers. A number of factors influence married adolescent girls’ ability to delay early childbearing. This qualitative evaluation examines if and how key participants and stakeholders in across communities in Niger and Bangladesh are experiencing change in attitudes and behaviors around delaying early adolescent childbirth stemming from the IMAGINE intervention.
A CARE multi-country study analyzing government-supported community health worker programs in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Nigeria and the United States using the CHW Assessment and Improvement Matrix (AIM) found that insufficient funding of these programs affects remuneration and other incentives for community health workers but also leads to inadequate resources for training, data collection, and equipment and supplies. This negatively impacts community health workers’ motivation, retention, and recognition and, in general, poses major barriers to achieving Universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals. Governments must step their support and investment in community health workers, properly integrate them into health systems and ensure a broader enabling environment for them to unleash their full potential. Read More
Increases in global conflict, the economic impact of COVID-19, market inflation, and the growing effects of climate change are compounding global crises. Those crises disproportionately affect the most vulnerable communities, especially women and girls. Addressing the unprecedented and overwhelming humanitarian crisis requires response and recovery efforts to listen to and address the needs of those affected the most, especially women and girls. Read More
Women and Girls Safe Spaces (WFSS) is a vital approach during emergencies, as they offer safety, well-being and empowerment to crisis-affected women and girls. Learn more in this two-page overview of Women and Girls’ Safe Spaces (WGSS) approach. Read More