Mainstream development actors are increasingly recognising the value of investment in girls and young women - and there has been remarkable progress over the last two decades in some areas (particularly education).
However, in other areas, including early marriage and pregnancy, maternal mortality, and gender-based violence, there have been very limited inroads into achieving meaningful change.
It is critical that broader poverty reduction and development frameworks do not simply ‘add girls and stir’ to existing approaches but rather integrate a more nuanced understanding of gender discriminatory social institutions and related change pathways.
By discriminatory social institutions we mean the collection of formal and informal laws, norms and practices which have an effect on human capabilities by either limiting or enabling individual and collective agency. These frequently unseen ‘social institutions’ often have an influence far greater then generally appreciated in shaping development outcomes.
In identifying discriminatory social institutions and the laws, norms and practices which deny girls the ability to reach their full potential, we are seeking to understand how this potential is both constructed and limited. The programme is developing a capabilities and entitlements framework linked to formal and informal laws, norms, practices and non-actions (discriminatory social institutions), which compromise girls development.
This DFID-funded 4-year programme of work puts the spotlight on adolescence as a pivotal life phase with considerable enduring socialisation effects and important preparation for key transitions to adult roles, including transitions to work, citizenship, marriage and parenthood. The project has two primary objectives:
- The creation of more effective policy and programmes to improve gender justice and promote transformation in the lives of girls and young women including a clear framework for measurement of progress.
- To develop a clear understanding and uptake of the evidence that exists and the evidence gaps for effective programmes addressing discriminatory formal and informal laws, norms and practices, which need to be tackled in order to promote social transformation for girls and young women.
The goal of the work is to improve development outcomes for girls and young women, breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty, and providing a catalyst for change, the returns of which will ripple through wider society.
We aim to enhance the effectiveness of global efforts to reduce the alarming numbers of desperately deprived adolescent girls, improve their wellbeing and capabilities, and thereby catalyse change for communities, broader society and the economy.
Empowering adolescent girls in developing countries: gender justice and norm change
Podcast series: transforming the world for girls
How communications can change social norms around adolescent girls
Empowering girls: challenging harmful gender norms
This event will explore how discriminatory gender norms, including honour-based abuse, combine with other forces to limit girls’ development in the UK and globally.
Adolescent girls and gender justice: country reports - Year 3
Transforming the lives of girls and young women: year 3 country briefings
Question guide: researching norms about early marriage and girls' education
Girls’ clubs and empowerment programmes
Tackling discrimination against girls: stories from Uganda
Tackling discrimination against girls: stories from Nepal
Changing gender norms: monitoring and evaluating programmes and projects
Knowledge to action glossary
Doing qualitative field research on gender norms with adolescent girls and their families
Communications to change discriminatory gender norms affecting adolescent girls
The law as a tool for changing gender norms affecting adolescent girls
How useful are systematic reviews for evaluating gender norm change interventions?
Social norms, gender norms and adolescent girls: a brief guide
How do gender norms change?
What can internationally comparable quantitative data tell us about how gender norms are changing?
What can gender indices tell us about gender norms that affect adolescent girls?
How do we empower girls? Listen to them
Transforming the lives of girls and young women – Year two country briefings
Understanding changing social norms and practices around girls' education and marriage
Adolescent girls and gender justice: Country reports - Year 2
Drivers of change in gender norms: An annotated bibliography
Imagining a brave new world for girls
Changing discriminatory norms affecting adolescent girls through communications activities: Insights for policy and practice from an evidence review
Changing discriminatory norms affecting adolescent girls through communication activities: A review of evidence
Tackling discriminatory social norms to empower girls and women: lessons for a post-2015 framework
The UK Secretary of State...
Measuring women's empowerment and social transformation in the post-2015 agenda
Implementing the Millennium Development Goals for all
Gender justice and social norms - processes of change for adolescent girls
Adolescent girls and gender justice: Lessons learned and emerging issues from year 1
Leave no girls behind – post-2015 and the empowerment of girls
Adolescent girls and gender justice: Country briefings
Adolescent girls and gender justice: Country reports - Year 1
The impact of discriminatory social norms on adolescent girls
ODI has partnered with Wikigender, the OECD, DFID and The Girl Hub to produce an online discussion exploring ...