Evaluation of Girls Invest, an economic empowerment intervention to address social and economic risks associated with intimate partner violence among adolescent girls in Ibadan, Nigeria.
Outcomes: Gender‑Based Violence, Women’s Economic Empowerment
View SourceKey Social Norms Take-aways Girls Invest suggests that combining economic empowerment with gender-equity education can help adolescent girls critically question restrictive gender roles and strengthen their ability to respond to gender discrimination. Girls described recognizing norms that privilege male authority and restrict girls’ educational and economic opportunities, and shared intervention lessons with friends and family, suggesting potential for broader diffusion of gender-equitable ideas.
Objectives To evaluate the preliminary efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability of Girls Invest, an economic empowerment intervention addressing social and economic risk factors for intimate partner violence among adolescent girls in low-income communities in Ibadan, Nigeria.
Methods A two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial included 258 girls ages 15–19 from 16 secondary schools, with eight schools assigned to Girls Invest and eight to a wait-list control. Surveys at baseline and six months were supplemented by program monitoring and five focus groups with 62 intervention participants. Measures included attitudes toward traditional gender roles and intimate partner violence, coping with gender-based discrimination, and perceived economic vulnerability.
Intervention Details Girls Invest combined five app-based modules addressing gender roles, sexual and reproductive health and rights, money and power in relationships, financial literacy, and future aspirations with educational or vocational resources worth approximately US$100. The modules encouraged critical reflection on gender norms, male dominance, and economic dependence.
Results Ninety-eight percent of eligible intervention participants completed all modules. Compared with controls, participants significantly improved their ability to identify and cope with gender-based discrimination (p=0.02), with a trend toward reduced support for traditional gender roles (p=0.07). Changes in attitudes supportive of intimate partner violence and perceived economic vulnerability were not statistically significant. Focus groups indicated greater awareness of gender inequities and unhealthy relationships, increased financial confidence, and improved future aspirations.
Conclusions Girls Invest was feasible and highly acceptable and shows preliminary promise for addressing interconnected gender and economic factors associated with intimate partner violence. Larger and longer-term trials are needed to establish effectiveness.
Norms Addressed
Body
Decision-Making/Agency
Economic Opportunities
Education
Gender
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