Go Girls Connect!

In addition to providing social and protective assets, and skills to aggressively tackle gender norms, the program enhanced identification of GBV survivors and linkages to post-abuse services and facilitated identification of girls at risk of dropping out of school through an Early Warning System in Eswatini.

Key program features included:

• 30 evidence-based human rights oriented Protect Our Youth digital asset sessions for adolescent girls and young women that enhance knowledge, youth civic engagement, demand and access to rights among 1,650 adolescent girls
• A self-administered GBV screening tool, which triggered a GBV Response Protocol and linkages to GBV support services
• A self-administered screening tool to identify girls at risk of dropping out of secondary school, with a robust Response Protocol to provide the supports needed to retain girls in school. This constituted a digital Early Warning System.

The Go Girls Connect! program created an evidence base for a unique model. This model innovatively addressed the digital gender divide while empowering girls to navigate entrenched gender norms, advocate for their rights, stay in school, and access needed GBV services. Go Girls Connect! can be adopted/scaled by stakeholders across the region, reaching the many millions of girls who so clearly need this kind of support and empowerment. We were pleased to partner with Cell-Ed to develop and deliver this promising program.