We only use your email address to send you the newsletter and to see how many people are opening our emails. A full privacy policy can be viewed here. You can change your mind at any time and update your preferences or unsubscribe.

Photo: Plan International

GAGE Rigorous Review: Girls' clubs, life skills programmes and girls' well-being outcomes

19.09.17 | Global

Bodily integrity and freedom from violence | Civic engagement | Economic empowerment | Education | Gender norms | Girls' clubs | Health, Nutrition and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) | Lifeskills | Social norms | Voice and agency

Authors

Rachel Marcus, Nandini Gupta-Archer, Madeleine D'Arcy and Ella Page

This rigorous review synthesises studies on the empowerment impacts of girls’ clubs and life skills programmes with a gender equality focus.

Girls’ clubs, or youth development clubs, have become an increasingly common component of school-based and community-based programmes that aim to improve capability outcomes and broader wellbeing of girls in developing countries. While some in the development community are enthusiastic about the potential of such clubs to empower girls, others raise questions about their impact, reach, sustainability and cost-effectiveness.

The review, the first of its kind to synthesise existing evaluations of girls’ clubs, finds substantial evidence of the positive impact of these programmes, particularly around changes in discriminatory gender norms and practices. It also highlights remaining programming and knowledge gaps.

Suggested citation

Marcus, R., Gupta-Archer, N., Darcy, M. and Page, E. (2017) GAGE Rigorous Review: girls’ clubs, life skills programmes and girls’ well-being outcomes. London: Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence. (https://www.gage.odi.org/publication/rigorous-review-girls-clubs-life-skills-programmes/)


Related publications

Reports
22.04.25
Age- and gender-based violence facing young people in Jordan: findings from GAGE midline evidence
Bodily integrity and freedom from violence
Jordan
Read more
22.04.25 | Bodily integrity and freedom from violence | Reports | Jordan
Age- and gender-based violence facing young people in Jordan: findings from GAGE midline evidence
Read more
Policy briefs
22.04.25
Age- and gender-based violence against young people in Jordan: evidence from GAGE longitudinal research
Bodily integrity and freedom from violence
Jordan
Read more
22.04.25 | Bodily integrity and freedom from violence | Policy briefs | Jordan
Age- and gender-based violence against young people in Jordan: evidence from GAGE longitudinal research
Read more
Journal articles
16.04.25
Child marriage and its consequences for adolescent mental health in conflict-affected contexts: evidence from Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Jordan
Bodily integrity and freedom from violence
Bangladesh | Ethiopia
Read more
16.04.25 | Bodily integrity and freedom from violence | Journal articles | Bangladesh
Child marriage and its consequences for adolescent mental health in conflict-affected contexts: evidence from Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Jordan
Read more