A Family-Focused, Sibling-Synchronous Intervention in Borno State, Nigeria: Exploring the Impact on Family Functioning and Household Gender Roles
Outcomes: Gender‑Based Violence
View SourceKey Social Norms Take-aways The study highlights that improving gender equity and reducing violence within families demands more than targeting girls alone. Engaging boys, caregivers, and the broader household in open dialogue about power, roles, and relationships is essential for transforming social norms. Programs that create space for cross-generational, gender-inclusive conversations can help challenge entrenched inequalities and support adolescent girls’ rights and well-being.
Objectives This study evaluated the Sibling Support for Adolescent Girls in Emergencies (SSAGE) intervention in Borno State, Nigeria, to understand how a family-focused, gender-transformative program can improve family functioning, shift gender roles, and reduce violence against girls in a humanitarian setting.
Methods Researchers used qualitative methods, including key informant interviews, paired interviews, participatory research activities, focus groups, and in-depth interviews, involving 90 program participants and 12 staff/mentors. They analyzed changes in family dynamics, communication, attitudes, and behaviors related to gender roles after a 12-week intervention.
Intervention Details SSAGE engaged adolescent girls (ages 10–14), their older adolescent brothers (ages 15–19), and male and female caregivers in synchronized weekly sessions over 12 weeks. Each group followed a tailored curriculum focusing on gender-based violence, healthy relationships, positive parenting, gender roles, and power dynamics, with the goal of encouraging intra-family discussions and transforming household gender norms.
Results The program led to improved family communication, more equitable sharing of household tasks, reductions in sibling violence, and greater caregiver involvement in children’s lives. Parents reported using less corporal punishment, and both boys and girls shared that household decision-making became more inclusive. Notably, families became more open to discussing sensitive topics like early marriage, girls’ education, and menstruation. However, some unintended effects, like increased restrictions on girls’ movement out of concern for their safety, were also observed.
Conclusions The SSAGE intervention demonstrated that gender-transformative, family-centered programs can improve household functioning, shift gender dynamics, and promote healthier relationships, even in conflict-affected environments. Sustained impact, however, requires careful design to avoid reinforcing restrictive controls over girls.
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