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The Institute for Global Health and Development

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/handle/20.500.12289/9

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    Child protection practices and attitudes of faith leaders across Senegal, Uganda, and Guatemala
    (Routledge, 2021-03-08) Jailobaeva, Kanykey; Diaconu, Karin; Ager, Alastair; Eyber, Carola
    Faith leaders are well-positioned to address violence against children, but the extent to which they do so is unclear. This mixed-method study examined faith leaders’ child protection practices, attitudes towards child rights, and views around physical punishment in Senegal, Uganda, and Guatemala. Child protection practices—specifically listening to children and reporting abuse—were strongest among faith leaders in Uganda, although they also most favored use of physical punishment. Overall, findings documented how faith leaders play an important role in promoting the wellbeing of children in their communities. Building on this contribution, however, requires sensitivity to important contextual differences.
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    Understanding female adolescent 'runaways' and the implications of their decisions in Tigray, northern Ethiopia
    (2019-08-12) Lurgain, Jone G.; Eyber, Carola
    This study aimed to understand the main factors influencing the decision of adolescent girls to run away from home in Tigray, northern Ethiopia, and to explore the social and cultural construction of female adolescent runaways in this region. In-depth qualitative interviews with seven runaway adolescent girls and six women married at an early age (11-16 years old) were conducted in Wukro and Mekelle in Tigray to investigate why the girls escaped from home and how communities responded to these decisions. Findings suggest that the immediate trigger that led all the young participants to run away was to escape an arranged marriage, except in one 'romantic' elopement case. Individual and structural factors, such as child maltreatment and educational aspirations, and new family law respectively, also contributed to the decision to escape. Adolescent runaways seem to be ignored or normalized within the community in Tigray and, in particular, by its public institutions. This may explain why there are limited services for runaway girls, such as shelters and other forms of support. This lack of social protection structures has left these girls unprotected and exposed to a range of risks, such as early and unwanted pregnancies, labor exploitation, dropping out of school, and transactional sex. To date, this phenomenon of adolescent runaways has remained an invisible issue in Tigray as runaway girls are counted under general migration figures. Further research is needed to explore how this phenomenon is categorized at policy level in order to address runaway girls' needs as defined by them.
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    Educational, psychosocial and protection outcomes of child- and youth-focused programming with Somali refugees in Buramino camp, Dollo Ado, Ethiopia
    (Overseas Development Institute, 2020-04-09) Metzler, Janna; Jonfa, Mesfin; Savage, Kevin; Ager, Alastair; Aktion Deutschland Hilft
    Provision of child- and youth-friendly spaces has become a common feature of emergency humanitarian response. The evidence-base regarding such provision is, however, severely limited. This study reports outcomes of Child and Youth Learning Centres (CYLCs) established in Buramino refugee camp for those fleeing conflict in Somalia. Eighty-five youths completed baseline assessments shortly after arrival at the camp and follow-up assessments between three and six months later. Caregivers of 106 younger children completed similar assessments. Attendances at CYLCs between baseline and follow-up were collated. Baseline and follow-up literacy and numeracy assessments were completed by 693 children attending CYLCs. Those attending CYLCs made major gains in both literacy and numeracy (t=9.06 and t=13.94 for younger children and t=13.87 and t=17.10 for youth respectively, all p<.0001). Children’s CYLC attendance also enhanced perceptions of met needs (t=2.53 amongst caregivers and t=2.57 amongst youth, both p<.05) and, amongst caregivers but not youth, significantly moderated protection concerns amidst increasingly challenging camp conditions (t=2.39, p<0.05, and t=-1.90, p=0.06 respectively). There was general improvement in psychosocial well-being over time for all children; CYLC attendance predicted greater reductions in reported difficulties only amongst younger children (t=2.51, p<.05).