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A BRIDGE TO A BRIGHTER FUTUREImpact Evaluation of the Aflateen+ Program
in TajikistanRAMESH SINGH, Mercy Corps Tajikistan
OVERVIEW
1. About Aflateen+ in Tajikistan
2. Introduction to the issue of Early Marriage in Tajikistan
3. How the efficacy of Aflateen+ was tested
4. Key Findings
5. Conclusions
A Bridge to a Brighter Future
Aflateen+ in Tajikistan
Aflateen+ was implemented as a pilot in 2013-14, where it reached 2,030 girls in 30 schools - covering 2 districts in Tajikistan.
A Bridge to a Brighter Future
OUR MISSION
A curriculum that provides girls (13-18 years) with Social and Financial Education AND raises awareness about Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights among them.
A Bridge to a Brighter Future
What is Alfateen+?
OUR MISSION
A Bridge to a Brighter Future
In Tajikistan, One in four women aged 25 to 29 years marries before 18 years of age. (Tajikistan MICS, 2005)
OUR MISSION
A Bridge to a Brighter Future
Marriage often ends girls’…
Childhood
Access to education
Opportunities for paid work outside the home
Opportunities for decision making roles in their communities
Having an own voice in their lives
OUR MISSION
A Bridge to a Brighter Future
Girls are at risk of…
Dying in childbirth
Becoming infected with HIV/AIDS
Suffering domestic violence
Dropping out of school
More likely to live in poverty
OUR MISSION
A Bridge to a Brighter Future
Implement Aflateen+ in Schools…
OUR MISSION
A Bridge to a Brighter Future
Cluster Randomized Control Trial (RCT)
OUR MISSION
A Bridge to a Brighter Future
WHAT WORKED?Aflateen+ had significant positive impact on…
Girls‘ knowledge of reproductive health practices and HIV
Girls’ sense of agency
Girls’ frequency of savings
Girls’ propensity toward entrepreneurship and plans for pursuing a career
OUR MISSION
A Bridge to a Brighter Future
Girls who placed higher importance on saving were over 50% more likely to have higher aspirations for their education, work and personal life.
Implication of Saving Behavior for Future Plans
OUR MISSION
A Bridge to a Brighter Future
Aflateen+ had the greatest impact on girls from upper grades and whose fathers had higher levels of education.
They are more likely to translate the knowledge and life-skills imparted through Aflateen+ into negotiation skills to take more control over their lives, bodies, and futures.
Implication of Self-agency for Sexual Relations
OUR MISSION
A Bridge to a Brighter Future
WHAT DIDN’T WORK?Program had no effects on…
The strength of girls’ social networks
Girls’ expected or ideal age of marriage and childbirth
OUR MISSION
A Bridge to a Brighter Future
CONCLUSIONS
Aflateen+ in Tajikistan has potential to...
Help girls to gain life-skills needed to improve their livesStrengthen girls’ self-confidenceMotivate girls to pursue a careerPositively affect their reproductive health and economic situation on the long-run
For future implementations… Engage boys, collaborate with gatekeepers, and public authorities in understanding Aflateen+ to influence change
