percent of girls 10–14 not in schooland not living with either parent inmozambique (137,768)Source: “The Adolescent Experience In-Depth: Using Data to Identify and Reach the MostVulnerable Young People: Mozambique 2006.” New York: Population Council, 2009. .or those who are involved in bringingthe perpetrators of violence to justice(police and judges). A recently designednational program to reduce violencein a sub-Saharan African country withextremely high levels of violence hadevaluation measures at the level ofmale peers, but no measures for effectingchange among the young femaleswho were most likely to be victims ofthe violence. Youth programs, amongthe few initiatives that governments designto be preventative and offer safetynets, systematically neglect exactlyThe Population Council and UNFPA Adolescent Data Guides (availablefor over 50 countries) can be accessed via www.popcouncil.org/girlsdata or www.unfpa.org/youth/dhs_adolescent_guides.html.those females who are at high risk ofviolence: 10–14-year-olds who are outof school, 10–14-year-olds living withone or no parent, and underage girls in26, 27exploitative work.The Population Council has developeda safety scan tool for use bygirls and boys to define times of theday, week, season, or situation thatare sources of threat. Girls themselvesshould be asked to identify when theyfeel at risk, according to:• Days of the week• Seasons• Situations (like asking for a gradeor walking to or from school)• Hours of the day• Economically lean times andbetter timesGirls can be asked to identify situationsand special events that bringheightened risk. Examples of thisinclude school vacations, times whenmen have money, festivals, or sportingevents (World Cup). In South Africa, girlsidentified November and December asmonths when they felt they were moreunder pressure to exchange sex for giftsand money, because school fees weredue then (Hallman). 28This exercise has been conductedin a number of settings, includingBurkina Faso, Haiti, Tanzania, andZambia. In Haiti, girls were very clearthat there were no times during whichmembers of any of three categories ofvulnerable females (domestic workers,10–14-year-old out-of-school girls,and heads of household) felt safe. Thesafety scan tool lays the foundation fora practical discussion of what a safetyplan might look like. An excerpt of thescan 29 focuses on the seasons thatbring risk. (See Figure 3.)Create regularly available platformsand spaces for girls, particularly thoseat the highest risk of exploitationGirls, unlike boys, do not have regular,safe places to meet nonfamily friends(a loss in and of itself) outside of homeor school. Disadvantaged girls arestrangers in the household in whichthey live and do not attend school.10 A GIRLS FIRST! PUBLICATION
FIGURE 3 safety scan toolSEASONS THAT BRING RISK WHY THE SEASON BRINGS RISK WHAT CAN BE DONE TO REDUCE RISKHarvestingRainy seasonMigration for workSchool fees are dueHolidaysWhen school is in session(Other)(Other)(Other)Conceptualized by Judith Bruce and Karen Austrian. Published by Austrian, K. and D. Ghati. 2010. Girl Centered Program Design: A Toolkit to Develop,Strengthen and Expand Adolescent Girls Programs. Population CouncilOther girls have left their community,often forcibly.All human beings need friendshipand social support. Social support andfriendship not only reduce girls’ susceptibilityto violence but can also serveas platforms from which to increaseknowledge about rights, develop specificsafety plans, and provide safe spacesin which they can discuss the sensitiveand threatening elements in their lives.A family of peers with a mentor is a vitalasset in and of itself. It is also a meansby which a girl can learn her rights, cometo understand teacher codes of conduct,have access to services and support,and obtain justice when she needs it.Creating regularly available venueswill likely increase the level of reportingabout violence; girls in this environmentmay have an increased sense ofwhat constitutes violence, and acceptit less. They may also feel more trustingin disclosing difficult situations they arefacing. 30Purposefully recruit at-risk girlsAs observed earlier, assuring the participationof the girls at the highest risk(measured by social exclusion, familyliving arrangements, work and schoolstatus, prevalence of cultural norms,and migration status, for example) willrequire their purposeful recruitment.Mapping the community of girls is essentialand allows the identification ofthe most vulnerable, such as girls indomestic service. 31Anchor programs with girls as thecore client: Reach out to othersselectively and based on girls’assessmentsEffective programs must navigatemany gatekeepers and limiting structuresso that girls remain the key,anchoring client. While others—religiousauthorities, teachers, parents,male peers, and older males—may beengaged, the girls must be assuredtheir central place as the core clients.Consistent with any human rightsagenda, the affected population, thegirls themselves, must be the centralparticipants in the program and majoritybeneficiaries. To the extent thatEven the most disadvantagedgirls can increase theirprospects of both a saferand more decent life.other actors are engaged as allies,girls’ perspectives should inform programdirections and messages.Determine which (if any) mediacould make a difference based ongirls’ experiencesThere’s often a rush to move to mediawith the notion that violence can bereduced with some sort of social marketingcampaign. These campaigns areoften undertaken with no investigationas to girls’ relative access to media inthe first place (radio, television) or themeaningfulness of the messages. Thisis often a simple way to spend moneyand appear to be advocating, but it isnot clear that these campaigns buildgirls’ protective assets. In general,for behavior change and certainly forvulnerable groups, specific accessto information is far more effectivethan generalized messages. Girls, forinstance, need to know specific riskyscenarios. As an example of a riskyscenario, girls in the Haitian workshopidentified “sharp guys” who lure insecure,younger girls out on dates thatoften end in gang abuse. In Zambia,girls identified teachers who insist thatgirls come to their homes to receive agrade. This behavior should be coveredin a teachers’ code; girls are currentlyunaware of these codes because theyare not posted or discussed with them.Perhaps the most well-known experimentwas one in Kenya in which highschool girls were informed that olderpartners were more likely to have HIVthan younger partners. This led to achange in both attitudes and partnerselection. 32Protecting girls as they seek justiceFor survivors of violence, seekingjustice can be difficult and can oftenre- traumatize adolescent girls. Girlsurvivors often face doubting authoritieswho do not know how to properly treatthem; there have been reports of cliniciansinserting a speculum in girls—evenVIOLENCE AGAINST ADOLESCENT GIRLS: A FUNDAMENTAL CHALLENGE TO MEANINGFUL EQUALITY 11
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