Gender inequality, reinforced by systems of oppression around the globe, perpetuates gender discrimination, violence, and systemic neglect. These structural forces are especially pronounced in communities with multiple marginalized social identities, particularly women of color, adolescents, Indigenous people, migrants, people with disabilities, gender minorities, LGBT people, and people affected by armed conflict and mass atrocities. The world lacks basic data related to these communities’ health, safety, wellbeing, and socioeconomic status, and evidence on what works to disrupt entrenched gender systems. The Population Council collaborates with locally rooted organizations, communities, and governments using context-relevant surveys, collects rigorous data, and creates evidence-based solutions.
Visit the Council's website to learn more.
Submissions from 2022
Élaboration du tableau de bord A3 des indicateurs relatifs aux adolescents et du tableau de bord des écarts entre les sexes, Lauren Woyczynski, Christina Misunas, and Md. Irfan Hossain
Evaluation of a gender synchronized family planning intervention for married couples in rural India: The CHARM2 cluster randomized control trial, Anita Raj, Mohan Ghule, Nicole Johns, Madhusudana Battala, Shahina Begum, Anvita Dixit, Florin Vaida, Niranjan Saggurti, Jay G. Silverman, and Sarah Averbach
Exploitative working conditions for child domestic workers in Ethiopia, The Freedom Fund
Factors associated with depression among young female migrants in Ethiopia, Annabel Erulkar and Girmay Medhin
From Data to Action: Informing Menstrual Health Management Programs, Emily EunYoung Cho, Karen Austrian, and Nicole Haberland
Gendered effects of COVID-19 school closures: Bangladesh case study, Eashita Haque, Natalie Wyss, Emily EunYoung Cho, and Karen Austrian
Gendered effects of COVID-19 school closures: India case study, Neelanjana Pandey, Emily EunYoung Cho, Shilpi Rampal, and Karen Austrian
Gendered effects of COVID-19 school closures: Kenya case study, Faith Mbushi, Natalie Wyss, Emily EunYoung Cho, Karen Austrian, Eva Ireri Muluve, Laura Muthoni, and Beth Kangwana
Gendered effects of COVID-19 school closures: Pakistan case study, Iram Kamran, Tahira Parveen, Rehan M. Niazi, Maqsood Sadiq, Fatima Azeem, Emily EunYoung Cho, and Karen Austrian
Gender-related barriers to schooling: What do we know about the effects of sexuality and life skills education?, Nicole Haberland
Getting girls back to school during the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya: Lessons from the 4Ts initiative, George Odwe and Chi-Chi Undie
GIRL Center Roadmap to 2030, GIRL Center
Girls on the Map: Mapping for Program Planning and Social Change, Eva Roca
Guide d’utilisation de la liste de contrôle de la politique A3, Yeeva Cheng and Cara Kraus-Perrotta
Identifying latent classes of empowerment among early adolescent girls and the factors that cultivate them: Evidence from a community-based skills training program, Christina Misunas and Sajeda Amin
Improving evidence on women’s groups: A proposed typology and common reporting indicators, Sapna Desai, Thomas de Hoop, Leigh Anderson, Bidisha Barooah, Tabitha Mulyampiti, Ekwaro Obuku, Audrey Prost, and Howard White
Intersections of financial agency, gender dynamics, and HIV risk: A qualitative study with adolescent girls and young women in Zambia, Laura Gauer Bermudez, Drosin Mulenga, Maurice Musheke, and Sanyukta Mathur
Invisible threads: Addressing the root causes of migration from Guatemala by investing in women and girls, Ingrid Arias, Angel del Valle, Michelle Dubón, Aracely Martínez Rodas, Kathleen Mogelgaard, L. Tatiana Paz Lemus, and J. Joseph Speidel
Learnings from past interventions in the digital era: Evidence-based considerations for adolescents’ programming using information and communication technologies, Grace Saul and Waimar Tun
L’élaboration de la liste de contrôle pour les politiques A3, Yeeva Cheng and Cara Kraus-Perrotta
Meeting men’s mental health needs during COVID-19 and beyond: A global health imperative, Ann Gottert, Dominick Shattuck, Julie Pulerwitz, Myra Betron, Courtney McLarnon-Silk, Jasmine Danette Wilkins, Tuo-Yen Tseng, and Interagency Gender Working Group Male Engagement Task Force
Menstruation, myopia, and marginalization: Advancing menstrual policies to “keep girls in school” at the risk of exacerbating inequalities, Nay Alhelou, Purvaja S. Kavattur, Mary M. Olson, Lillian Rountree, and Inga T. Winkler
Migrant women’s health and safety: Why do Ethiopian women choose irregular migration to the Middle East for domestic work?, Zewdneh Shewamene, Cathy Zimmerman, Eyasu Hailu, Lemi Negeri, Annabel Erulkar, Elizabeth J. Anderson, Yuki Lo, Orla Jackson, and Joanna Busza
Policies and interventions to remove gender‐related barriers to girls' school participation and learning in low‐ and middle‐income countries: A systematic review of the evidence, Stephanie Psaki, Nicole Haberland, Barbara Mensch, Lauren Woyczynski, and Erica Chuang
The development of adolescent agency and implications for reproductive choice among girls in Zambia, Katharine McCarthy, Katarzyna Wyka, Diana Romero, Karen Austrian, and Heidi E. Jones
The good, the bad and the unintended: Education, child marriage and early childbearing, Thoai Ngo
The role of agents and brokers in facilitating Ethiopian women into domestic work in the Middle East: Findings from the Meneshachin (‘Our Departure’) study on responsible recruitment models, Joanna Busza, Zewdneh Sabe, and Cathy Zimmerman
The taboo gap: Implications for adolescent risk of HIV infection, Sophia N. Nesamoney, Iván Mejía-Guevara, Ann M. Weber, Beniamino Cislaghi, Michael Mbizvo, and Gary L. Darmstadt
Towards safer recruitment of Ethiopian women into domestic work abroad: Early findings from the Meneshachin ‘Our Departure’ qualitative study, Joanna Busza, Zewdneh Shewamene, and Cathy Zimmerman
Understanding quality of contraceptive counseling in the CHARM2 gender-equity focused family planning intervention: Findings from a cluster randomized controlled trial among couples in rural India, Sarah Averbach, Nicole Johns, Mohan Ghule, Anvita Dixit, Shahina Begum, Madhusudana Battala, Niranjan Saggurti, Jay G. Silverman, and Anita Raj
Using audience segmentation approaches to inform integrated family planning and maternal health programs in Niger, Breakthrough RESEARCH
‘We are the bridge’: An implementation research study of SEWA Shakti Kendras to improve community engagement in publicly funded health insurance in Gujarat, India, Susan Thomas, Sharmada Sivaram, Zubin Shroff, Ajay Mahal, and Sapna Desai
Webinar—From Data to Action: Informing Menstrual Health Management Programs, Karen Austrian, Nicole Haberland, Beth Kangwana, and Megan White Mukuria
What works to improve outcomes for Kenya’s adolescent girls?, Population Council
“When you live in good health with your husband, then your children are in good health ….” A qualitative exploration of how households make healthcare decisions in Maradi and Zinder Regions, Niger, Sara Chace Dwyer, Sanyukta Mathur, Karen Kirk, Chaibou Dadi, and Leanne Dougherty
Women's groups and COVID-19: An evidence review on savings groups in Africa, Olayinka Adegbite, Leigh Anderson, Sybil Chidiac, Osasuyi Dirisu, Jenna Grzeslo, Julia Hakspiel, Chinmaya Holla, Emily Janoch, Krishna Jafa, Shubha Jayaram, Grace Majara, Tabitha Mulyampiti, Eve Namisango, Eva Noble, Bukola Onyishi, David Panetta, Garima Siwach, Munshi Sulaiman, Rebecca Walcott, Sapna Desai, and Thomas de Hoop
Submissions from 2021
A Covid Agenda from the Perspective of Adolescent Girls and Young Women, Judith Bruce
Action for adolescent girls and COVID-19: Implications for safe space programming in the Sahel, Population Council
Adolescent girls and COVID-19: Mapping the evidence on interventions, Sarah Blake, Miriam Temin, Tara Abularrage, and Nihal Said
Adolescent girls’ and young women’s economic empowerment programs: Emerging insights from a review of reviews, Nicole Haberland, Thomas de Hoop, Sapna Desai, Sarah Engebretsen, and Thoai Ngo
Advancing girls' education in light of COVID-19 in East Africa: A synthesis report, Population Council, Regional Education Learning Initiative, and Mannion Daniels
Crezcamos felices: Manual sobre prevención de la violencia para mentoras del programa Abriendo Oportunidades, Population Council
Dataset—Shifting gender norms to improve HIV service uptake: Qualitative findings from a large-scale community mobilization intervention in rural South Africa, Anna M. Leddy, Ann Gottert, Nicole Haberland, Jennifer Hove, Sheri A. Lippman, Kathleen Kahn, Rhandzekile Mathebula, Dumisani Rebombo, Xavier Gómez-Olivé, Rhian Twine, Dean Peacock, and Julie Pulerwitz
Decolonised and Inclusive: Reflections on the Generation of Violence Against Women (VAW) Prevention Evidence for African Women’s Rights Organisations, Sexual Violence Research Initiative
Delivering on the promise of gender equity in India: Lessons from the UDAYA Study, Nidhi Khurana
Effects of an e-reader intervention on literacy, numeracy and non-verbal reasoning among adolescent girls in Zambia: Evidence from a randomised controlled trial, Barbara Mensch, Nicole Haberland, Erica Soler-Hampejsek, Jean Digitale, Natalie Jackson Hachonda, Nachela Chelwa, Pamela Nyirenda, Erica Chuang, Lisa Polen, Stephanie Psaki, Nkomba Kayeyi, and Michael Mbizvo
Empowering women in conservative settings: Evidence from an intervention in rural Egypt, Ahmed Elsayed, Soiliou Daw Namoro, and Rania Roushdy
Endline Results Brief: What works to improve outcomes for Kenya's adolescent girls?, Population Council
Esperanza del Programa Abriendo Oportunidades, Population Council
Esperanza y la gran historia de nuestro camino: Guía para mentoras de Abriendo Oportunidades, Population Council
Evidence on educational strategies to address child labour in India and Bangladesh: Scoping paper summaries, Ellina Samantroy, AKM Masud Ali, Davuluri Venkateswarlu, Sajeda Amin, Renu Singh, and Jyotsna Jha
Findings from the violence outcomes in COVID-19 era study (VoCes-19): Baseline results, Silvana Larrea-Schiavon, Lina López-Lalinde, Isabel Vieitez Martínez, Ricardo Regules, Juan Pablo Gutiérrez, René Nevárez, Cristina MacGregor, Pablo López, Nicole Haberland, and Thoai Ngo
Finding the Path Forward: Promoting Equity and Ethics in Research on GBV among Refugee Populations in the Global South, The Global Women's Institute
From Data to Action: Partnering with Governments on Evidence to Support Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Karen Austrian, Beth Kangwana, Julie Mwabe, Guillermo Santiago, and Isabel Vieitez Martínez
From Data to Action: Partnering with Governments on Evidence to Support Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Emily EunYoung Cho, Karen Austrian, and Isabel Vieitez Martínez
Gendered economic, social and health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigation policies in Kenya: Evidence from a prospective cohort survey in Nairobi informal settlements, Jessie Pinchoff, Karen Austrian, Nandita Rajshekhar, Timothy Abuya, Beth Kangwana, Rhoune Ochako, James B. Tidwell, Daniel Mwanga, Eva Muluve, Faith Mbushi, Mercy Nzioki, and Thoai Ngo
Gender equitable attitudes among adolescents: A validation study and associations with sexual health behaviors, Amber L. Hill, Elizabeth Miller, Galen E. Switzer, Kaleab Z. Abebe, Judy C. Chang, Julie Pulerwitz, Lisa D. Brush, and Ashley V. Hill
Gender inequities in treatment-seeking for sexual and reproductive health amongst adolescents: Findings from a cross-sectional survey in India, Sapna Desai, Neelanjana Pandey, Roopal Jyoti Singh, and Shikha Bhasin
Getting girls back to school in Kenya: The 4Ts ('Trace, Track, Talk and reTurn') Initiative implementation report, George Odwe, Chi-Chi Undie, Ann Gachoya, Truphena Kirongo, Fredrick Kiiru, and Jane Njogu
Girl-only clubs’ influence on SRH knowledge, HIV risk reduction, and negative SRH outcomes among very young adolescent girls in rural Malawi, Wanangwa Chimwaza Manda, Nanlesta Pilgrim, Mphatso Kamndaya, Sanyukta Mathur, and Yandisa Sikweyiya
Girls' Education Roadmap: 2021 Report, Stephanie Psaki, Nicole Haberland, Meredith L. Kozak, and Lauren Woyczynski
Girls' Education Roadmap: 2021 Report Summary, Stephanie Psaki, Nicole Haberland, Meredith L. Kozak, and Lauren Woyczynski
Guía de Esperanza del Programa Abriendo Oportunidades, Population Council
Impact of community-based girl groups, Miriam Temin and Craig Heck
Impacts of two-year multisectoral cash plus programs on young adolescent girls' education, health and economic outcomes: Adolescent Girls Initiative–Kenya (AGI-K) randomized trial, Karen Austrian, Erica Soler-Hampejsek, Beth Kangwana, Yohannes Dibaba Wado, Benta Abuya, and John A. Maluccio
Inclusive HIV prevention in South Africa: Reaching foreign migrant adolescent girls, Miriam Temin, Cecilia Milford, Mags Beksinska, Debbie Van Zyl, and Jonathan Cockburn
Intentional Design: Reaching the Most Excluded Girls in the Poorest Communities—A Guide for Practitioners and Advocates, Judith Bruce and Sophie Soares
Leçons sur l'alphabetisation des adolescentes: reflexions pour les espaces sûrs du SWEDD, Population Council
Le Guide des normes minimales pour des espaces sûrs : la conception, la mise en oeuvre, et le suivi, l’évaluation et l’apprentissage, Population Council
Lessons on literacy training for adolescent girls: Considerations for SWEDD safe spaces, Population Council
Long-term impact of exposure to a gender-transformative program among young men: Findings from a longitudinal study in Bihar, India, K.G. Santhya and A.J. Francis Zavier
Meeting the Moment: New Data on Learning Loss and What We Can Do About It, Emily EunYoung Cho, Karen Austrian, and Nicole Haberland
Meeting the moment: The gender and education community's response to COVID-19, Evidence for Gender & Education Resource (EGER)
Muslim men's perceptions and attitudes on family planning: A qualitative study in Wajir and Lamu counties in Kenya, Batula Abdi, Jerry Okal, Gamal I. Serour, and Marleen Temmerman
Positioning community-based girl group programs for success: Lessons learned from the Population Council's technical assistance partnership with UNFPA-Mozambique's Rapariga Biz, Miriam Temin, Arune Estavela, Craig Heck, Natalie Jackson, and Joana Mendes
Potential of organizing unmarried adolescent girls and young women into self-help groups for a better transition to adulthood: Findings from a cross-sectional study in India, Jaleel Ahmad, Avishek Hazra, Kumudha Aruldas, Arima Singh, and Niranjan Saggurti
Prise de mesures pour les adolescentes en periode de la COVID-19: implications pour la programmation des espaces sûrs au Sahel, Population Council
Reducing the prevalence of child domestic servitude in Addis Ababa: Stakeholder and expert scoping study, The Freedom Fund and Population Council
Research in forced displacement: Guidance for a feminist and decolonial approach, Neha S. Singh, Michelle Lokot, Chi-Chi Undie, Monica A. Onyango, Rosemary Morgan, Anne Harmer, Jane Freedman, and Shirin Heidari
Resultados del estudio sobre violencia en la era COVID-19 (VoCes-19): Línea base reporte, Silvana Larrea-Schiavon, Lina López-Lalinde, Isabel Vieitez Martínez, Ricardo Regules, Juan Pablo Gutiérrez, René Nevárez, Cristina MacGregor, Pablo López, Nicole Haberland, and Thoai Ngo
Sajeda Amin: Women's empowerment in Bangladesh, Sajeda Amin
Shifting gender norms to improve HIV service uptake: Qualitative findings from a large-scale community mobilization intervention in rural South Africa, Anna M. Leddy, Ann Gottert, Nicole Haberland, Jennifer Hove, Rebecca West, Audrey Pettifor, Sheri A. Lippman, Kathleen Kahn, Rhandzekile Mathebula, Dumisani Rebombo, F. Xavier Gómez-Olivé, Rhian Twine, Dean Peacock, and Julie Pulerwitz
Smarter investments in girls today to prepare them to thrive tomorrow, Miriam Temin, Christina Misunas, and Erika Martin
Social norms, agency, and marriage aspirations in Malawi, Fatima Zahra, Rachel Kidman, and Hans-Peter Kohler
Solutions Summit Event | Data Driven Prevention to End All Forms of VAC in Humanitarian Settings, The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action
Status of Research on Violence Against Women (VAW) in Africa—‘Voices from the South’ Africa Report Launch: Contributing to the Production of Evidence on VAW and VAC, Sexual Violence Research Initiative
Supporting Native American girls during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lisa Polen, Kelly Hallman, Stephanie Martinez, and Kassel Franco Garibay
The Adolescent Girls Initiative-Kenya—Executive Summary: Two-year follow up results, Population Council
The forgotten population? A call to invest in adolescent well-being in humanitarian and fragile settings, Neha S. Singh, Jocelyn DeJong, Kimberley Popple, Chi-Chi Undie, Rozane El Masri, Ritah Bakesiima, Mariana Calderon-Jaramillo, Ellen Peprah, Saha Naseri, Nadine Cornier, and Karl Blanchet
The IMAGEN Story: A Framework for Restoring Indigenous Girl Societies, Kelly Hallman, Lisa Polen, and Katey Peck
The intersection of power and gender: Examining the relationship of empowerment and gender-unequal norms among young adolescents in Kinshasa, DRC, Linnea Zimmerman, Leah R. Koenig, Julie Pulerwitz, Patrick Kayembe, Matilde Maddeleno, and Caroline Moreau
The Lakota Daughters: Film Screening and Q&A, Victoria Kupchinetsky, Kelly Hallman, Aimee Pond, Mary LeBeau, Gwendolyn Packard, Judith A. Diers, Angel del Valle, and Thoai Ngo
Time to take critical race theory seriously: Moving beyond a colour-blind gender lens in global health, Eileen Yam, Martha Silva, Malini Ranganathan, Jamila White, Tonija M. Hope, and Chandra L. Ford
Translating evidence into impact: Advancing global girls’ education, Population Council
Understanding the relationship between adverse childhood experiences, peer-violence perpetration, and gender norms among very young adolescents in Indonesia: A cross-sectional study, Astha Ramaiya, Ifta Choiriyyah, Lori L. Heise, Julie Pulerwitz, Robert Wm. Blum, Ruti G. Levtov, Rebecka Lundgren, Lisa Richardson, and Caroline Moreau
Uniting for adolescents in covid-19 and beyond, Helen Clark, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen, Jorge Alcocer, Errol Alden, et al., and Annabel Erulkar
Using the Gender and Power Metrics Database—A Research Skills Workshop, Leah Jarvis, Katey Peck, and Elizabeth Tobey
Vamos a replicar la vida: Manual de huertos familiares para mentoras del programa Abriendo Oportunidades, Population Council
Vamos a replicar la vida: Manual de huertos familiares para niñas del programa Abriendo Oportunidades, Population Council
Vamos a replicar la vida: Mediación del manual de huertos familiares para mentoras del programa Abriendo Oportunidades, Population Council