Improving the Well-Being of Married Adolescent Girls in Ethiopia

In Ethiopia’s Amhara region, almost half of all girls are married by the age of 15. By the time they turn 18, nearly three out of four girls are married. Early marriage presents many health risks for these girls that are compounded by their lack of economic autonomy.

To address this vulnerability, ICRW is working with CARE Ethiopia to improve the sexual and reproductive health and economic well-being of adolescent girls by combining health programs with economic empowerment interventions to reach 5,000 married girls in Amhara.

ICRW will evaluate the intervention by comparing the integrated model to those focusing on reproductive health or economic empowerment in isolation. The goal is to better understand how health and economic outcomes interact. ICRW also will track changes in girls’ sexual and reproductive health, such as their use of contraceptives, as well as changes in their economic independence, for instance whether they use savings accounts. This project will result in tested best practices to apply in future programs for girls.

Duration: 
2009 - 2012
Partners: 
CARE
Project Director: 
Jeffery Edmeades
Location(s): 
Ethiopia

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