Assessing the feasibility and effectiveness of COMPASS programming to prevent violence against adolescent girls
Findings from these studies combined indicate very high acceptability and feasibility of the COMPASS program. While no significant changes related to violence were observed, numerous secondary outcomes such as gender norms, aspirational attitudes, and increased social networks were improved.
Significant gaps persist in the evidence base on the most effective interventions to prevent violence against adolescent girls aged 10–19 years old in humanitarian crisis settings. The Creating Opportunities through Mentorship, Parental involvement, and Safe Spaces (COMPASS) program provides opportunities for girls to gain life skills and build assets to protect against and respond to gender-based violence (GBV) through mentorship, learning, and peer interaction in safe spaces, and is combined with capacity-building activities to improve the ability of service providers and caregivers to address the specific needs of young girls. The feasibility, acceptability, and impact of these activities on reducing violence experienced by young girls were assessed in Ethiopia, the DRC, and Pakistan.
Approximately 900 girls in the DRC and their caregivers, as well as nearly 1,000 girls in Ethiopia were interviewed as part of two independent cluster-randomized controlled trials. The primary outcome was sexual violence while secondary outcomes included family violence, early marriage, positive relationships, and gender norms. More than 200 girls participated in a pre-and post-test in Pakistan, which centered on feasibility and acceptability. Specific research questions included:
- Ethiopia - What is the overall impact of the COMPASS program on girls’ experiences of violence and well-being compared to a waitlist group?
- DRC - What is the incremental impact of the parental component of the COMPASS program in addition to the girls’ programming on girl’s experiences of violence and well-being compared to girls’ programming only?
- Pakistan - What is the feasibility and acceptability of delivering COMPASS?
Findings from these studies combined indicate very high acceptability and feasibility of the COMPASS program. While no significant changes related to violence were observed, numerous secondary outcomes such as gender norms, aspirational attitudes, and increased social networks were improved. Results of this work have led to an adapted adolescent girl program, Girl Shine.
Publications
- Research Brief - Democratic Republic of Congo
- Research Brief - Ethiopia
- Research Brief - Pakistan
- COMPASS program: Multi-country study protocol to protect girls from violence in humanitarian settings
- Implementation of Audio-computer assisted self-interview (ACASI) among adolescent girls in humanitarian settings: feasibility, acceptability and lessons learned
- The effect of gender norms on the association between violence and hope among girls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Caregiver parenting and gender attitudes: associations with violence against girls in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo;* (8) How narratives of fear shape girls’ participation in community life in two conflict-affected populations
- Disclosure bias for group versus individual reporting of violence amongst conflict-affected adolescent girls in DRC and Ethiopia;
- Prevalence and associated risk factors of violence against conflict- affected female adolescents: a multi-country, cross-sectional study
- Journal: How gender and violence related norms affect self-esteem among adolescent refugee girls living in Ethiopia.
- Journal: The school participation effect: investigating violence and formal education among girls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Report: A Safe Place to Shine - Creating Opportunities and Raising Voices of Adolescent Girls in Humanitarian Settings
- Ingredients List - Compass DRC
- Ingredients List - Compass Ethiopia