Shifting Gender Social Norms Amidst Expanded Expression of Empowerment and Agency Among Out-of-School Girls in Sierra Leone

• In Event: Protesting Societal Norms for Sustainable Girls’ Empowerment through Education

Proposal

The Every Adolescent Girl Empowered and Resilient (EAGER) project is an inspiring initiative dedicated to the education and empowerment of girls, providing transformative learning opportunities to 27,322 out-of-school adolescent girls in Sierra Leone's 10 districts. EAGER was carefully tailored to meet the specific educational needs of girls aged 13 to 19, who had previously been denied formal schooling due to existing social barriers. These barriers, including stigma, peer isolation, and demanding household responsibilities, were recognized as critical factors hindering their progress. To combat these challenges and nurture their mental and emotional well-being, resilience, and empowerment, EAGER adopted a comprehensive approach to learning. The project established dedicated Safe Spaces that provided a supportive environment for the girls to learn and grow. Furthermore, the girls actively engaged in weekly Life Skills sessions, led by female Mentors with training in Psychological First Aid, ensuring they received the necessary psychosocial support.

The EAGER project's approach incorporates a deep understanding of how gender intertwines with complex social relations. Considering gender equality and empowerment without acknowledging relational engagement and meaning-making would neglect the primary factors shaping girls' experiences (Robeyns, 2008). Unterhalter (2007) highlights that girls from diverse backgrounds and times, and even one girl within her own life, may experience and express gender differently, depending on social structures, negotiations, and contestations. The capability approach, advocated by Sen and Nussbaum, emphasizes a person's ability to achieve what they value. Sen (2004) argues that it is essential to consider the freedom individuals possess to pursue a life they value and translate resources into meaningful achievements. Unterhalter (2007) adds that the capability approach must also account for the extent to which an individual's perception of value may be influenced by social constraints.

This current study uses data from interviews with 7 Mentors and Facilitators, focus group discussions with 20 girls, and focus group discussions with 11 caregivers and partners to understand (a) the ways in which social norms influence these out of school girls in exercising agency in their lives, homes, and communities and (b) how they are strategically using their power to navigate their unique circumstances and influence changes that benefit them.

In this study, a feminist adaptation of Sen's capability framework, as proposed by Unterhalter, is used to explore how social norms influence the perceptions and discussions of "empowerment" among these out-of-school girls who participated in the EAGER project. The analysis delves into the ways in which they exercise agency in their lives, homes, and communities, revealing the nuanced interplay between their aspirations and the shaping forces of social norms.

Authors

• Marlana Salmon-Letelier, IRC Teachers College

• Giulia Di Filippantonio, IRC Sierra Leone - Freetown

• Isabel Pearson, International Rescue Committee