Effectiveness of a community based intervention to delay early marriage, early pregnancy and improve school retention among adolescents in India (BMC Public Health 2018 18:732)
Child marriage is being increasingly recognized globally as a fundamental violation of human rights. Child marriages occur globally in varying degrees across countries and regions. South Asia alone accounted for almost half of the total number of child marriages that have occurred globally. Early marriage can lead to serious ramifications such as school drop-out, early pregnancy, maternal morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a multi-pronged community-based intervention and the role of access to mass media on early marriage, early pregnancy and school retention among young people in two states of India. Click here for full paper ...
UNICEF C4D for Education paper series (2016)
A Global Evidence Review of Communication for Development (C4D) in support of inclusive and quality education demonstrated the contribution C4D to education outcomes, specifically in the areas of inclusion, equity and gender. The three briefs presented here summarize key findings of the evidence review, discuss key principles in applying and strengthening C4D for Education, and provide recommendations for policy and programming in support of education outcomes, while emphasising regional context and priorities. Programme brief: Addressing social norms and gender in support of equity in education [PDF] Programme brief: A social and behaviour change agenda for inclusion and equity in education [PDF] Programme brief: Investing in Communication for Development to enhance quality education and learning outcomes [PDF] Source: https://www.unicef.org/esaro/5481_c4d-education-briefs.html ...
My Safety, My Wellbeing: Equipping adolescent girls with key knowledge and skills to help them to mitigate, prevent and respond to gender based violence (IRC, 2016)
This curriculum was developed by the IRC and the Women’s Protection and Empowerment programme to equip adolescent girls with key knowledge and skills to help them to reduce, prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV). It is designed to be used in the classroom. The curriculum is structured to have two separate age groups (11-13 and 14-18) enrolled in 24 two-hour sessions over the course of 12 weeks. Skills-building sessions address topics such as communication, decision making, confidence and problem solving, each with a specific focus on GBV, early marriage, reproductive health, hygiene, managing stress, relationships with parents, and having healthy relationships. Click here for full resource ...
Redesigning an education project for child friendly radio: a multisectoral collaboration to promote children’s health, education, and human rights after a humanitarian crisis in Sierra Leone (BMJ 2018; 363 :k4667)
In this paper the authors describe how an educational project was rapidly adapted into a radio education programme after the 2014 Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone. In May 2014, Sierra Leone reported its first case of Ebola in Kailahun, a remote, marginalised, and impoverished district bordering Liberia. The district had one of the highest concentrations of Ebola infections during this outbreak. After this, over 1600 children were orphaned and gender inequalities were exacerbated . Public health control measures put in place by the government of Sierra Leone included closing all schools and prohibiting public congregation. The educational programme “Getting Ready for School”, funded by the UK charity Comic Relief, had been operating since its launch in 2011 within 21 schools in Kailahun. While many other educational services stopped entirely in Kailahun, the Getting Ready for School programme was redesigned as a radio education programme called Pikin to Pikin Tok (PtPT), meaning Child to Child Talk, in Krio. The lead consortium partner was Child to Child, a UK based international child rights non-governmental organisation (NGO) (www.childtochild.org.uk), and the lead implementing partner was Pikin-To-Pikin (www.pikintopikin.org), a local NGO. The goals and objectives of the project changed in response to the circumstances in ...
Thematic Review: Community Based Awareness, Attitudes and Behaviour (Girls’ Education Challenge, 2018)
This paper is one of a series of thematic reviews produced by the Fund Manager of the Girls’ Education Challenge, an alliance led by PwC, working with organisations including FHI 360, Nathan Associates and Social Development Direct. The Girls’ Education Challenge (GEC) was set up to support improved attendance and learning for up to one million marginalised girls and has provided the opportunity to develop evidence on what works in girls’ education. Overall across a number of GEC projects, evidence was found of communities’ motivation, investment and commitment to educate their children, for example donating land, raising funds for bursaries and increasing their workload to pay for school fees. In general, GEC projects have not found communities are opposed to the principle of girls’ education, but that their support interacts with other norms that can make it harder for girls to attend school and learn. In particular, there is a perceived (or actual) low return for the family as the investment is sometimes considered to be lost when girls get married. There are several key considerations for practitioners and policy makers in light of the literature and GEC findings; projects implementing community interventions should target the most prevalent and relevant ...
Evaluating the impact of information campaigns in the field of migration: A systematic review of the evidence, and practical guidance ( Central Mediterranean Route Thematic Report Series, International Organization for Migration, 2018)
“Evaluating the impact of information campaigns in the field of migration: A systematic review of the evidence, a practical guidance” presents the results of a systematic literature review of the evaluations of migration information campaigns. The study reveals that the evidence base available for programming and policymaking in this area remains very limited. In the absence of reliable evidence, the debate on the potential of this policy tool often relies on anecdotal evidence. The current lack of evidence limits the impact of future campaigns, and better evidence can show how information campaigns can be designed to best achieve their intended effects given the particular circumstances. While rigorous assessment of information campaigns can be difficult and costly, better evidence is clearly needed wherever feasible and appropriate. Click here for full study ...
Large-Scale Social and Behavior Change Communication Interventions Have Sustained Impacts on Infant and Young Child Feeding Knowledge and Practices – Results of a 2-Year Follow-Up Study in Bangladesh (The Journal of Nutrition, 148:10, 2018)
Sustained improvements in infant and young child feeding (IYCF) require continued implementation of effective interventions. From 2010–2014, Alive & Thrive (A&T) provided intensive interpersonal counseling (IPC), community mobilization (CM), and mass media (MM) in Bangladesh, demonstrating impact on IYCF practices. Since 2014, implementation has been continued and scaled up by national partners with support from other donors and with modifications such as added focus on maternal nutrition and reduced program intensity. The authors assessed changes in intervention exposure and IYCF knowledge and practices in the intensive (IPC + CM + MM) compared with nonintensive areas (standard nutrition counseling + less intensive CM and MM) 2 y after termination of initial external donor support. Conclusions: Continued IPC exposure and sustained impacts on IYCF knowledge and practices in intensive areas indicated lasting benefits from A&T's interventions as they underwent major scale-up with reduced intensity. Click here for full article ...
Shifting Norms, Changing Behaviour, Amplifying Voice: What Works? 2018 International Social and Behaviour Change Communication Conference (Summit Report 2018)
The 2018 SBCC Summit took place from 16 – 20 April 2018 and was organized to better understand what works in shifting social norms, changing behaviours and in amplifying the voice of those who have most at stake in the success of development efforts. It was designed to wrestle with the profound issues of social justice and agenda setting that affect these decisions and included a wide range of participation from government, regional entities, academics, NGOs, CSOs, global agencies and the private sector working on development and health issues. This report provides a taste of the 2018 Summit, some highlights of the weeklong event, a few lessons learned and food for thought for a 2020 Summit. More insights can be found in a special issue about the Summit published by The Journal of Development Communication ...
Participatory Research Toolkit (Rain Barrel Communications, 2018)
This toolkit gathers together a wide variety of participatory research tools developed over a 20-year period and used in multiple social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) projects around the world. Examples are provided from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Mozambique, Nepal, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone. All of the tools presented have been tried and tested. A majority of them have been used with adolescents. However, children, women, men, key influentials and, indeed, whole communities have used them. The tookit provides an overarching description of the tool as a whole, next, there is a list of topics and countries where the research team has had first-hand experience of working with these tools, and then there is a selection of concrete examples. Finally, each tool is accompanied by suggested “how-to’s” with step by step instructions, tips and techniques that have been employed in real-world settings. Click here for full toolkit ...
How has media programming supported polio eradication? (BBC Media Action Research Briefing, 2018)
This briefing synthesises findings from research conducted in the three countries – Afghanistan, Nigeria and Somalia - with a focus on Afghanistan. Research findings suggested that BBC Media Action’s programming provided listeners with accurate, trusted and clear information against misinformation and harmful rumours, increased knowledge on the requirement of multiple doses of vaccines and vaccination schedules, prompted discussion and dialogue in communities, garnered trust and confidence among caregivers through the use of doctors and religious leaders and encouraged parents to vaccinate their children by dispelling misconceptions about vaccinations. Click here for full briefing ...
Thumb-Stopping and 15 other Case Studies on HIV-related Behaviour Change Communication (APCOM, 2018)
Many Asian countries are recording alarmingly high numbers of HIV infection among its MSM population. This is particularly evident in large urban areas like Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, and Saigon. HIV prevalence has been reported between 15-31% in these cities. Where data is available, the rate of HIV testing among young MSM aged 18 to 29 is less than 50%. Meanwhile, the adoption of media and technology in Southeast Asia – especially in urban areas – has grown exponentially. Online sexual networking websites and mobile dating apps are used by young MSM to regularly seek out sexual partners. This gives campaigners new opportunities to reach and engage this demographic like never before. testXXX was created by APCOM to respond to this crisis and opportunity for HIV services for young MSM in the region. testXXX empowers the existing community-based clinics to reach and recruit wider young MSM audience. It does this by harnessing the power of cutting-edge communications and creativity that resonates with the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours of young MSM. Thumb Stopping and 15 other Case Studies on HIV-related Behaviour Change Communication is the report based on the lessons shared during the testXXX Regional Dialogue, which took place in Bangkok during ...
Let’s Make it Work! Breastfeeding in the Workplace – Using C4D to make breastfeeding possible among working mothers (UNICEF, 2018)
In 2016, with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF launched two country-level initiatives to improve breastfeeding practices of infants of working mothers, in partnership with businesses operating in two distinct settings: • Ready-made garment (RMG) factory sites located in the urban and peri-urban areas of Dhaka, Bangladesh. • A vast tea estate situated in Kericho County, Kenya. The objective of the mother- and babyfriendly workplace initiatives is to increase working mothers’ demand for and access to facilities and services that support appropriate breastfeeding practices and care in the workplace.” In doing so, the initiatives aim to generate evidence on the operational feasibility, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of supporting breastfeeding in the workplace, and to showcase its benefits for children, families, communities and businesses. UNICEF applied the Communication for Development (C4D) process to design social and behavioural change communication strategies to increase acceptance of, and demand for, workplace breastfeeding programmes in each context. This document presents accomplishments to date and conceptual thinking in C4D for promoting breastfeeding support in the workplace, emanating from these two experiences and building upon available evidence and lessons learned from former experiences. The document is intended for programme planners within UNICEF as well as ...