Addressing Teen Pregnancy and Early Marriage in The Gambia
The overall aim of this study is to determine the factors that either perpetuate or lead to a decline in or early marriage. The information generated will be used to design a relevant package of interventions that will be tested in Lower Badibu District, the second poorest region in the country. This study will involve a cross-sectional household survey with a sample of 915 respondents aged 10 years and above, stratified by ethnicity and age. The research team will convene 28 focus group discussions within each of the four ethnic groups for seven categories of respondents defined by age and sex and key informant interviews with 173 community-based decision-makers will also be conducted.
Shifting gender norms for improved maternal and adolescent health in The Gambia and Ghana
This project uses gender-transformative approaches to address both supply-side and demand-side challenges encountered by adolescent girls and boys in addressing their sexual, reproductive, and maternal health needs. The supply-side focus on making adolescent sexual and reproductive health services more youth-friendly. Using training and supported interactions, the project will examine and positively influence attitudes and norms of both healthcare providers and young couples. The project will also look at intersecting vulnerabilities (such as ethnic or sexual identity, poverty, or education levels) of adolescents to support changing harmful gender norms and practices. The demand side involves strengthening birth preparedness and complication readiness by pregnant adolescent girls so that unnecessary and potentially fatal delays in accessing maternal and newborn health services are reduced. Overall, the project is designed to identify relevant factors and strategies to successfully sustain and scale up the intervention to other communities across Ghana and The Gambia.