A Family-Focused, Sibling-Synchronous Intervention in Borno State, Nigeria: Exploring the Impact on Family Functioning and Household Gender Roles

This study evaluates the  Sibling Support for Adolescent Girls in Emergencies (SSAGE) intervention to understand the impact of gender transformative family programming on family functioning.MethodsThe 12-week SSAGE program engaged  adolescent girls, their adolescent brothers, and their caregivers in Northeast Nigeria in synchronous sessions stratified by gender and age, with curricula exploring topics including gender-based violence, healthy relationships, and positive parenting. The two-week, post-intervention qualitative evaluation consisted of key informant and paired interviews, participatory research activities, focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews with 90 program participants and 12 program staff/mentors to understand the intervention’s impact on attitudes and behaviors around family gender roles.ResultsFindings revealed  improved communication within families, bolstered by mentors’ encouragement to discuss program topics within households, and caregivers’ and siblings’ shift toward the use of healthier, non-corporal behavior control methods. Families described how the intervention promoted conversations aro und gendered issues including early marriage, education, employment, and puberty.Results This study builds the evidence base for  gender transformative family functioning programming in humanitarian contexts. Practitioners should work to ensure safety of women and girls in future programming, particularly by focusing on communication ski...
Source: Journal of Family Violence - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research