Girl effect: creating safe spaces for girls

The essenTial guide To safe-space programmes for girls

3. Why safe spaces?

4. essenTial ingredienTs of a safe space for girls5. hoW To make a safe space

8. WhaT kinds of people are needed To run a safe-space group?

10. Who are The righT role models?13. WhaT places can Be safe spaces?

16. hoW To involve girls in The process18. TrouBleshooTing: WhaT can go Wrong?

21. hoW you’ll knoW if you’ve goT iT righT23. case sTudy: ade Brasil

26. case sTudy: ishaka care Burundi29. checklisT of safe-space essenTials

30. your feedBack

conTenTs

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Why safe spaces?3

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Safe spaces are where girls go for inspiration, confidence and skills. This guide tells you how to make that happen – take it, share it, use it.

Safe spaces are all about relationships. They are places where girls go to make connections, learn from role models, access services and become decision-makers. Girls in poverty often have few friends, little free time and no power. Safe spaces are places they can go to where they can meet people to help build the relationships and find the inspiration, confidence and skills to change that.

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ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS OF A SAFE SPACE

Girls only: Create a place and time for girls to meet without men and boys present.

Girl ownership: Girls must own the content, the activities, the meeting times and the group rules.

Role models: Trusted female leaders with empathy, credibility with girls, and who care to commit. Safe-space mentors help girls to become the best they can be, and ‘think big’ about their futures.

Friendship: The opportunity to create connections with other girls and build trusted support networks.

Community buy-in: Several champions in the wider community need to support girls and their safe spaces to achieve all of this.

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hoW To make a safe space

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Safety is both an emotional and a physical concept.

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ENSuRING GIRLS’ EmOTIONAL SAFETyCreate a space where:

Girls can express themselves without judgment. The group focus should be on solving problems, not judging them.

Girls can take the lead to make it fun, with games, songs and chants.

Structures for joint achievement enable girls to reach common goals

together and build trust in each other.

Girls build ground rules that can be revisited at every meeting.

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ENSuRING GIRLS’ PhySICAL SAFETy

Have conversations with the community to sanction girls’ safe participation.

Hold meetings at times when girls can be out and about.

Choose a place where girls are allowed to go and where they will be free from harassment.

Ensure girls can get there safely: By private transport, walking in pairs etc.

Brand the space as ‘girl only’ through community contracts, banners, posters, flags, T-shirts and savings lock boxes.

Make sure the skills and assets girls acquire don’t put them at risk. New ideas and information can upset traditional views on what girls need to be able to do or know. Desirable commodities such as mobile phones can put girls at risk of violence.

Be aware of key danger moments for girls. Festivals, holidays and sports events are often times when girls are most at risk. Natural disasters also leave girls vulnerable to violence and exploitation.

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WhaT kinds of people are needed To run a safe-space group?

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1. Mentor or role model: Cares enough about girls to be there to help them become the best they can be. Their defining characteristics are empathy, honesty, credibility and a continuing commitment to care.

2. Group leader or manager: Convenes groups, manages group dynamics, keeps agendas, organises meetings etc. Their defining characteristics are organisation, credibility and commitment.

3. Content deliverers: Share curriculum and information with girls. Their defining characteristics are familiarity and credibility with the content, as well as skills in participatory training to engage girls in sessions.

4. Facilitators: Deliver information, games and activities to maximise learning and behaviour change. Their defining characteristics are group empathy, group management, listening and creative facilitation skills.

5. Representative of NGO, government etc: Assures consistency and quality of the programme’s content and activities, manages reporting and monitoring, and adapts tools/materials from the implementers and communicates them to the girl group. Their defining characteristics are organisation, attention to detail and credibility with adult professionals.

NB. One person may perform more than one of these roles, however it is extremely rare to find one person with the skills and time to perform all of them. For the purpose of building strong relationships, the mentor or role model is the most important.

A girls’ safe space, at the core, is a place she can go to for connection and inspiration. An effective way to create this emotional closeness is through a formal safe-space group that brings girls together with a trusted adult or peer at a specific place and time.

Roles needed to run an ideal safe-space group:

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Real connections with girls are at the heart of safe spaces, so a role model’s human characteristics – empathy, commitment and credibility with girls – are more important than her facilitation skills or her demographics. If necessary, other adult resources can be brought in to manage the logistics.

Here are some of the different options:

Who are The righT role models?

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Type of role model pros cons When are They The righT choice?

Near peers ⊲ Can relate to girls

⊲ Girls can view them as

slightly cooler versions of

themselves

⊲ Can be paid

⊲ May have little formal education

⊲ May not have access to resources

⊲ May have limited vision of/

exposure to different life paths for

girls

⊲ When building a leadership cadre of girls is a

priority

⊲ When girls are at serious risk every day and

need a trusted local mentor to help in case of

emergency

University students ⊲ Shows girls what success

looks like

⊲ Can be paid

⊲ Often not from girls’ own

community

⊲ May present unrealistic vision of

the future

⊲ Not available in community for

emergencies

⊲ When creating a new vision for the future is a

priority

⊲ When delivering highly technical content

Group members/peers ⊲ Elected by the group, which

lends them legitimacy

⊲ From the same community

⊲ Can receive training from

programme staff

⊲ Little formal education

⊲ Peer leadership may create

conflict

⊲ When trying to reach large numbers of girls without significant resources for mentor recruitment


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Type of role model pros cons When are They The righT choice?

Programme staff ⊲ Can be paid

⊲ Easy to train and supervise

⊲ May be didactic ⊲ When time and budget are limited

⊲ When building girls’ leadership capabilities is

less important

Local professionals ⊲ Can create a new vision of

success for girls

⊲ May have little formal training on

how to engage with girls, manage

groups or minimise adolescent

girls’ risks

⊲ Can see girls as staffers

⊲ When creating a new vision for the future is a

priority

⊲ When delivering employability or economic

content

Teachers ⊲ Vetted community member

⊲ Experience working with girls

⊲ Can be paid

⊲ Authority figure

⊲ May be punitive or didactic

⊲ When working through schools

⊲ When trusted adults are required


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There is no one-size-fits-all solution to this. There are a range of public places that could be appropriate, and finding the right one will depend on the specific circumstances in which you’re operating. Here are some to consider:

WhaT places can Be safe spaces?

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locaTion pros cons

Schools ⊲ Regularly available to girls ⊲ Formal, which could be intimidating for girls who do not

normally attend school

Community centres ⊲ Formalises girls’ access to the community centres ⊲ Could be uninspiring

⊲ May not be set up for girls

⊲ May have men and boys around

⊲ May need community negotiation to make girl-only times

Youth centres ⊲ Formalises girls’ access to youth centres ⊲ Could be uninspiring

⊲ Can be unsafe for girls

⊲ Usually used by boys

⊲ May need community negotiation to create girl-only times

Mosques and churches ⊲ Respected place for girls to meet ⊲ May reinforce traditional gender norms


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locaTion pros cons

Under a tree

(open-air spaces)⊲ Available

⊲ Free

⊲ Girl groups are very visible

⊲ Need back up for bad weather

⊲ Doesn’t ensure access to community entitlements and

therefore could reinforce girls’ exclusion

Homes of respected

community members⊲ Respected places for girls to meet ⊲ May reinforce traditional gender norms


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hoW To involve girls in The process

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hOW TO INVOLVE GIRLS IN ThE PROCESS

SAFETy-SCAPING

Safety-scaping is a powerful tool to determine when and where girls are most safe. Girls map their community (either using drawings or GPS), marking which times and places are safe and which aren’t.

SAFETy PLANS

Creating a safety plan is an important preventative tool that puts girls in charge of their own safety. When creating a safety plan, girls are asked to identify when they are most safe and most at risk; they are then advised how to stay safe during risky times and who to go to for help.

The best way to figure out where to create a safe space, or who to use as role models, is to co-design with the girls. here are a couple of ways to make sure their physical and emotional needs are embedded in the programme from the outset.

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TrouBleshooTing:WhaT can go Wrong?

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TROuBLEShOOTING: WhAT CAN GO WRONG?It’s not fun or valuable Sometimes, safe-space programmes can become another school or just another training programme – especially if fun, play and being a teenager aren’t built in from the beginning.

Role models don’t show upRole models often have a ton of energy for the first few months of a project but as things get routine, they can get bored. There is also a danger that other, better opportunities can pull them away.

Role models are unpaidRole models are often asked to do a lot: They might be the only person to bring girls together, share information, maintain good group dynamics and keep records. They need to be paid to show that they are valued and to build professionalism.

Girls don’t see clubs as safe spacesSometimes the existence of the safe space isn’t effectively communicated and girls don’t know that it is for them. Also, there is the possibility they don’t trust the other girls who attend.

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Groups include mothers, men or boysGirls don’t usually feel comfortable if their mums, men or boys join the group. However, they do want to be able to share what they learn with their families – especially their mums.

The time doesn’t work for girlsGirls have a hard time meeting during school hours or when they need to be at church, at home or doing chores. Meeting times must be designed and set by girls.

Parents and community leaders don’t get itWhen parents know what their daughters are doing and believe it’s a good use of time, girls are more likely to be allowed to join. Otherwise, they may be kept away from programmes because parents and community leaders don’t think it’s safe or valuable.

It’s not safe to get to and from the spaceGirls need to be safe on their way to and from their club meetings, otherwise they won’t want to come.

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hoW you’ll knoW if you’ve goT iT righT

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hOW yOu’LL KNOW IF yOu’VE GOT IT RIGhT

Through all of this, girls build social capital, which means they are:

girls Build resilience, developing The confidence To solve proBlems

girls creaTe social connecTions, a sense of Belonging and an emoTional supporT neTWork

role models inspire girls To imagine a neW vision for Their fuTures

girls Become decision-makers in Their communiTies

girls develop healTh, financial and life skills To negoTiaTe Their adolescence and learn hoW To geT

BeTTer access To healTh and financial services

less likely To experience violence

less likely To geT married young

more likely To delay sexual acTiviTy

more likely To have conTrol of Their oWn financial desTiny

more likely To Be aBle To conTriBuTe To Their communiTy’s economy

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CASE STuDy: ADE BRASIL: PROGRAmA PARA O FuTuRA

Location Recife, an urban tech centre in north-eastern Brazil.

Programme goals Economic empowerment (employability/job skills and professional networks).

Reproductive health (knowledge and gender awareness).

Safe space members Girls aged 16-24.

Mentorship model eMentoring, with local female and male professionals, using online chat or email one hour per week.

Programme staff teach girls economic and health content.

Place Professional spaces, such as university classrooms, business conference rooms or offices.

Time and dosage Meet programme staff for training three times per week over six months, half a day at a time.

One hour per week on computers for eMentoring.

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How do girls own the

content?

Identify professional pathways they’d like to learn more about (eg HR, IT, communications, nursing); learning projects based around

girls’ interests.

Girls per mentor? 1:1 eMentoring (One girl per eMentor; eMentors may have many mentees).

25-30 girls per safe-space group, with three staff trainers.

How are communities

engaged?

Parent meetings, two to four times per six-month learning cycle.

Businesses: Employees volunteer as eMentors and girls visit companies.

Reproductive health (knowledge and gender awareness).

How to make it safe? Girl-only space. ADE uses a social worker to build emotional resilience and trust among girls. Cash deposited into a savings

account for safe transport.

Impact on girls Improved tech and employability skills, stronger professional networks, increased earnings, increased education, improved self-

perception. 45% reported career enhancement by the end of the programme compared with 14% at the start.


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mentorshipeMentoring with working professionals is helpful in connecting girls and mentors from different social classes because it removes visual cues of social differences. It builds girls’ professional networks, improves their written communication and expands their vision for the future. Girl profilesOlder girls with some education (aged 18-22) are in the best position to identify their professional pathways and immediately apply the skills learned in PPF. However, they also have more competition for their time (eg childcare, household responsibilities). Younger girls (aged 15-17) can spend more time on the programme, but haven’t yet defined their professional interests and are largely still in school. For younger girls, it has become clear that PPF needs more focus on basic literacy and social-asset building activities.

LocationHolding training in professional settings inspires girls and gives them a fresh vision of what they can become. It creates a sense of entitlement to community resources. Professional settings should be used when the aim of the programme is to prepare girls for the formal workforce.

Dosage1:1 eMentoring is really productive for girls and manageable for mentors, but can be extremely challenging for the implementer to co-ordinate. It needs strong co-ordination, management and partnership with larger companies.

KEy LESSONS

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CASE STuDy: IShAKA CARE BuRuNDI

Location Bujumbura (urban) and Ghitega (rural).

Programme goals Group saving and lending (economic empowerment) – improve girls’ earning power through income-generating activities,

savings and financial literacy.

Social/agency empowerment – connections and networks, mentoring, group activities and human rights training.

Reproductive health – improving knowledge and attitude to engender behaviour change. Knowledge and gender awareness.

Safe space members Girls aged 14-22.

Mentorship model Girls select their trainers (who also act as mentors).

Place Girls meet under a tree, in members’ houses, the local school, church and in a respected community household.

Time and dosage Girls meet once a week (for two hours on average) for nine months. Quick surveys show 90% of girls continued to meet in their

groups on their own, without programme support.

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How do girls own the

content?

Mentors selected by the girls are trained for a week (for about 35 hours). Mentors/trainers also are provided with a refresher course

every three months.

Girls per mentor? Two mentors for every 10-20 girls.

How are communities

engaged?

Communities support group activities in their villages and provide meeting places. Adult change agents were also made part of

the programme.

How to make it safe? Girl-only space with very strict ground rules. Adult change agents work as ambassadors of girls and provide support as needed.

Impact on girls Improved earnings potential, savings, confidence and social capital. Many girls have abandoned transactional sex, and sexual and

reproductive health has significantly improved. Girls have been truly re-evaluated by their community. There was a 78% increase in

the use of contraception and a 58% reduction in the number of girls resorting to prostitution to support their needs. 82% reported

increased control over their money.

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Girls’ leadershipGirls selecting/electing the mentors/trainers makes them more accountable to the participants. Members also determine their own rules and decisions. They democratically elect their own management team from the group and these roles rotate among members. These arrangements are important for developing girls’ leadership skills and improving their civic participation.

Girl profilesGroup saving and lending is best suited to rural girls and those out of school. In-school girls and urban girls benefitted least.

Location In rural areas the safe space was mostly under a tree. This was particularly challenging during the rainy season. Girls have identified a plan B to relocate to a house or church when it rains. It is recommended that girls have a plan A and plan B.

DosageThe Group Saving and Lending model is well developed. Groups go through three phases of initiation, maturation and graduation, which takes up to 12 months. Two hours a week for nine months was the ideal amount of time for girls to graduate and continue activities on their own.

KEy LESSONS

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self-assessmenT quesTions quesTions for The girls

Is it girls only?

Did girls help design it?

Do girls have some ownership of it?

Do they get exposed to role models?

Do the girls feel both emotionally and physically safe?

Is the safe space in the right place?

Is it fun?

Do the girls feel comfortable expressing themselves openly?

Are the girls able to create friendships?

Has the wider community bought into the programme?

ChECKLIST OF SAFE-SPACE ESSENTIALS10 questions to assess if your safe-spaces programme is on the right track.

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yOuR FEEDBACKThis guide is intended as a starting point for creating a safe-spaces programme. We want to know how you’ve used this guide, what you’ve learnt and what you think could be added to make it more comprehensive.

We also want to know more about your safe-spaces programmes for girls: What they deliver, how you designed them and what the impact has been.

Email us at [email protected]

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Girl effect: creating safe spaces for girls