A presentation by Dr Nicola Jones to 'Universal Children's Day 2019: strengthening the voice and agency of disadvantaged adolescents', ODI, London, UK, November 2019

2. Strengthening the Voice and
Agency of Disadvantaged
Youth
20th November 2019

3. Opening remarks
Sara Pantuliano
Acting Executive Director,
Overseas Development Institute
@SaraPantuliano

4. GAGE Overview and Research Findings
Dr Nicola Jones
GAGE Director
Principal Research Fellow,
Overseas Development Institute
@njonesODI

5. Please note that the photographs of
adolescents DO NOT capture GAGE research
participants and consent was gained from
their guardians for the photographs to be
used for GAGE communications purposes.
Overview:
GAGE research
12 year old Syrian girl in Mafraq @ Nathalie Bertrams / GAGE 2019

6. Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE):
A longitudinal research programme (2015-2024)
By finding out ‘what works,’ for whom, where
and why, we can better support adolescent girls
and boys to maximise their capabilities now and
in the future.
We are following the largest cohort of adolescents in the Global South

7. Why adolescence?
An age of opportunity The demographic imperative
% total population 10-24 years in 2013
ADOLESCENCE
10-19 years
Rapid neuro-
development
changes Growing
adoption of
adult-like
roles, e.g.
work, intimate
relationships
Increased
salience of
gender
norms in
daily lifeIncreased
interaction
with peers vs
parents
Psycho-
emotional
and self-
identity
changes
Physical and
reproductive
changes
Source: Accelerating adolescent girls’ education and empowerment:
G7 Whistler Meeting 2018 | May 2018

8. Conceptual framework - Voice and agency

9. Adolescents with disabilities, Ethiopia @ Nathalie Bertrams / GAGE 2019
Dr Nicola Jones
Disadvantaged on all fronts:
Ethiopian adolescents with disabilities

10. Why
disability?
10-year-old girl with physical disability,
Jordan © Nathalie Bertrams /GAGE 2019

11. Suggest picture of girl here if/while you focus on the nexus of gender and disability.
Gender and
disability

12. Sub-sample of adolescents with disabilities

13. GAGE
findings
An adolescent girl with a hearing impairment
© Nathalie Bertrams / GAGE 2019

14. Education and learning

15. Health, sexual and reproductive health and nutrition

16. Psychosocial wellbeing

17. Voice and agency

18. Child marriage in refugee contexts:
GAGE findings from Jordan, Bangladesh and Gaza
Silvia Guglielmi and Sara Al-Heiwidi
Married girl with her baby, Jordan © Nathalie Bertrams / GAGE 2019

19. GAGE Research Findings
Silvia Guglielmi
GAGE Qualitative Researcher
@SilviGuglielmi

20. PRESENTATION NAME AND DATE
No recommendations?
Child marriage
in humanitarian
context -
overview
Married adolescent girl with her baby,
Bangladesh © Nathalie Bertrams / GAGE 2019

21. Our tools: exploring how to prevent child marriage
Worried about daughter’s
reputation in the community
now that she is growing up
Daughter is in love
WHY?
Who
What
argument
What
behavioural
change
What factors could potentially lead the
characters to reconsider child marriage?

22. Our tools: Exploring how to support married girls

23. GAGE
findings
Adolescent mother, Jordan © Nathalie Bertrams / GAGE 2019

24. GAGE Research Findings
Sara Al-Heiwidi
GAGE Qualitative Researcher

25. What are we
learning about
WHAT drives child
marriage?
DRIVERS
Poverty
Gender
norms
Protection
and relief
Control by
husbands
and
families
Pressure to
produce
children
Extended
family
pressure

26. What are we
learning about
WHO decides?
DECISION-
MAKERS
Parents
drive most
child
marriage Community
leaders
insist on
some
marriages
Fathers are
the final
decision-
makers
Some girls
have veto
power
Fathers
make most
final
decisions
A few girls
marry for
‘love’

27. Adolescents
are vulnerable
to IPV as well
as from in-
laws and natal
family Social
isolation is
extreme Early
pregnancy is
pushed—
and
dangerous Poverty is
common—
and deep
What are we learning about the impacts of child marriage?
Mobility is
heavily
restricted
Psychosocial
distress is
high
Educational
doors close
Many girls
are
unprepared
for sex
Girls are
economically
dependent
Highly
restricted on
legal aid

28. Twitter handles
Gender and Adolesence: Global Evidence (GAGE)
@GAGE_programme
Overseas Development Institute
@ODIdev
Sara Pantuliano, Acting Executive Director ODI
@SaraPantuliano
Nicola Jones, GAGE Director, Principal
Research Fellow ODI
@njonesODI
Silvia Guglielmi, GAGE Participatory Researcher
@SilviGuglielmi
Philip Hanks, Partnerships Manager and
Youth Technical Lead, Leonard Cheshire
@LeonardCheshire
Dr. Faith Mwangi-Powell, CEO, Girls Not Brides
@fmwangipowell
@GirlsNotBrides
Kathleen Spencer Chapman, Head of Policy,
Advocacy And Research, Plan International UK
@kathleen_tweets
@PlanUK
Department for International Development UK
@DFID_RED_GCSD

29. About GAGE
WEBSITE: www.gage.odi.org
TWITTER: @GAGE_programme
FACEBOOK: GenderandAdolescence
 Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence
(GAGE) is a nine-year (2015-2024) mixed-
methods longitudinal research programme
focused on what works to support
adolescent girls’ and boys’ capabilities in
the second decade of life and beyond.
 We are following the lives of 18,000
adolescents in six focal countries in Africa,
Asia and the Middle East.
Download the reports:
www.gage.odi.org/publications/