Theme Documentation
Gender and empowerment:
The SWEDD project aims to implement interventions that promote the social and economic empowerment of girls and women. This includes strengthening social and behavior change communication, including through deep community engagement, cross-country coordination, and innovative use of digital platforms. Particular emphasis is placed on improving adolescents’ life skills and knowledge of sexual and reproductive health, through targeted activities such as safe spaces for girls in and out of school, as well as boys’ and future husbands’ clubs. The project also seeks to keep girls in school until at least secondary school, in order to delay early marriage and pregnancy, by providing appropriate financial and material support. The economic and financial inclusion of young girls, including those who have become mothers, is another priority, as is strengthening actions to prevent and respond to gender-based violence.
Sub-themes
Communication for Social and Behavioral Change
Strengthen community awareness, including through in-depth engagement, coordination across countries and innovative use of digital platforms as well as through the organization of awareness campaigns focused on climate awareness to strengthen the adaptive capacity of the population.
Life skills and knowledge
Improve life skills and sexual and reproductive health knowledge of adolescents through evidence-based activities in safe spaces for in-school and out-of-school girls and boys and/or future husbands clubs.
Keeping girls in school
Keep girls in school up to secondary level to delay early marriage and pregnancy through the provision of school vouchers, conditional cash transfers, payment of school fees, uniforms and supplies, and to ensure environments conducive to girls’ well-being and learning at school, including the provision of dignity kits, childcare and meals etc.
Economic and financial inclusion
Increase action and opportunities for Young Girls' Associations by targeting both girls in and out of school and also young girls who have become mothers.
Prevention and management of violence
Strengthen actions to prevent GBV/PSEA/SH, improve the care of GBV survivors, in particular through capacity building of the various actors involved in supporting GBV survivors, support for the socio-economic reintegration of GBV survivors and improving the management of information on GBV, etc.
Marital status
Strengthening advocacy, legal frameworks and political commitment for girls’ and women’s rights at continental, regional and national levels, including through the mobilization of religious and traditional leaders. The project also seeks to strengthen policy development and monitoring and evaluation capacities related to the demographic dividend and gender, with a key role for the Demographic Dividend Observatories.
Multimedia
Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend in the Sahel
Component Playlist
