Promoting Young People's Resilience Through Social Protection

Social protection in the context of forced displacement: how can
programming better promote young people’s resilience in general
and during the Covid-19 pandemic?
Dr. Nicola Jones, 6th May 2021

Outline of presentation
1
• Framing: Why should social protection be gender and adolescent-
responsive?
2
•Overview: Jordan and our research in Jordan before and during Covid-19
3
•Findings: adolescent vulnerabilities and social protection responses
4
• Conclusions and implications for policy and programming

Please note that the photographs of adolescents DO NOT capture
GAGE research participants and consent was gained from their
guardians for the photographs to be used for GAGE
communications purposes.
Why should social
protection be gender and
adolescent-responsive?
Married Syrian girl @ Natalie Bertrams / GAGE 2019

Social protection: the state of play
 Social protection is embedded in the SDGs
 149 of the world’s developing countries have a social
transfer scheme
 Most programmes are not gender-responsive
 They often use women to invest in children—but take
too little account of women themselves
 Where programmes are twinned with plus programming, men
seldom involved
 Few programmes (outside of pilots) consider adolescents’
age-related needs
 Most focus on households—and younger children (esp. under-5’s)
 Where adolescents are visible in current programming—it’s
usually larger stipends/more cash to attend secondary school
Molyneux, 2020; Gavrilovic, 2020; Jones, 2020 in GRASSP Think Piece Series

Adolescence: an age of opportunity (and risk)
Rapid physical
growth—
including sexual
maturation
Greater need
to fit in with
peers
Heightened
importance of
social norms
Increased risk
taking and
novelty
seeking
Cognitive
development
—abstract
thought,
longer-term
planning
Improved
ability to
regulate
emotions
Rewards more
important
than
punishment

“Safe transitions”: leveraging social protection
 Focusing on adolescents provides a triple dividend for
social protection: adolescents themselves now, as
future adults and for their future children.
Age Gender
Girls:
• SGBV
• Child marriage
• Adolescent pregnancy
Boys:
• Child labour
• Substance use
• Interpersonal violence
Both:
• School drop-out
• Risky sex (but for
different reasons)
Harper et al. 2018; Chandra-Mouli et al. 2018; Jones et al. 2019; Lahiri 2020; TASAF et al. 2020
 Key is attending to the nexus of age and gender—and
programming for the specific risks and opportunities that
emerge (and diverge) for girls and boys over the second
decade due to social norms.

Where are the evidence gaps?
• What adolescent-specific outcomes does social protection improve?
• Do hard or soft conditions lead to more change? Why or why not?
• What are the costs and benefits of targeting adolescents—rather than households—with
cash and messaging?
• Does “plus” programming help? What types for which adolescents in which contexts?
Where are the gaps?
• Programming tends to have shorter-term objectives—even though displacement can be
protracted [the median duration in 2018 was five years (World Bank, 2019]
• e.g. protecting HHs from immediate deprivation rather than promoting longer-term opportunities
• Programming often ignores the trauma of displacement (and the reasons behind it)
• Very little data is age- and gender-disaggregated
• e.g. even impacts on school enrolment are sometimes reported only by age or by broad age groups
within gender
Gaps are larger in humanitarian contexts

Overview: Jordan and
our research in Jordan
Group of adolescents in Mafraq, Jordan @ Natalie Bertrams / GAGE 2019

Jordanian context
One-third of those living in Jordan are refugees. On a per capita basis Jordan has second
highest number of refugees globally.
There are over 2 million registered Palestinian refugees—most, not all, have
citizenship.
Of the 1.3 million Syrians, half are registered refugees. Most have been there a
decade.
Jordan faces significant economic and social challenges—unemployment and poverty
rates are high, and services are stretched.

Access to social protection varies
 Syrians get food support from the WFP
(approx. 500,000 individuals)
 Syrians in formal camps are providing housing
 Access to education and basic health care is
free
 UNRWA provides services (but little social
protection) for Palestinians
There are three at-scale cash transfers:
National Aid Fund (NAF)
(poverty targeted for
Jordanians—approx. 92,000
HHs)
UNHCR
(poverty targeted for Syrians
in host communities—
approx. 32,000 HHs)
Hajati
(labeled for education for 10,000 Syrian
and Jordanian children)—expanded to
meet increased needs during COVID (extra
18,000 children) and with links to Makani
 UNICEF’s Makani (“My Space”) programming
provides non-formal tuition, life skills and child
protection services to children and adolescents
of all nationalities, and referrals back to school
for Hajati beneficiaries
 There is an array of NGOs providing an array
of types of support—mostly for Syrians

Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence:
By finding out ‘what works,’ for whom, where
and why, we can better support adolescent girls
and boys to maximise their capabilities now and
in the future.
We are following the largest cohort of adolescents in the Global South

GAGE longitudinal research sample

Associated research in Jordan
UNHCR-UNICEF
commissioned study in
2016/2017
Mixed methods—survey and
interviews with a sample of
2100 households benefitting
and not benefitting from cash
transfers
Focused on the impacts of
UNHCR and UNICEF cash on
HHs
UNICEF commissioned study
in 2020
Mixed methods—PDM survey
and focus group discussions
with a sample of 1000
households benefitting from
Hajati
Focused on the impacts of
Hajati cash on HHs and
children
GAGE COVID-19 research in
2020 (and ongoing)
Mixed methods—several
rounds of phone surveys with
WHO (we reached ¾ of the
GAGE main sample) and online
interviews with 170
individuals
Focused on exploring the
impacts of COVID on
adolescents

Findings:
adolescent vulnerabilities
and social protection
responses
A boy from Zaatari camp at school @Herwig/UNICEF/2016

Adolescents’ access to education and learning is limited
At baseline, enrolment varied:
• 95% of 10–12-year-old girls
• 92% of 10–12-year-old boys
Jordanians> Palestinians>Syrians
Only 9% of ever married girls were
enrolled in school.
At baseline, learning was low and variable:
• 52% of girls could read a short story—vs 39% of boys
• 44% of girls could subtract—vs 35% of boys
Jordanians performed the best
• Of girls, Syrians lagged
• Of boys, Palestinians lagged
COVID closures have disrupted schooling:
• 67% of female caregivers are concerned that their child will not return to school
• ‘I wasn’t able to join the last two exams because of lack of internet connection. We
couldn’t buy credit.’ (older Syrian girl)
• ‘I don’t study as hard as before because I can’t focus anymore.’ (younger Syrian girl)

What limits education and learning?
Our research highlights several main reasons that adolescents are denied an education:
 Conflict and displacement—esp. for older adolescents, who do not see a route back in to education.
 Poverty--amplified by adolescent concerns about fitting in with peers.
 Some girls leave school to marry—most leave school because they will marry & family honour is paramount.
 Lack of/unaffordable transport forces families to prioritise protection over education for girls.
 Boys are expected to contribute to household economic needs—but have limited employment options.
 Girls and boys highlighted that they like to dress like their friends.
 Boys often mentioned needing pocket money to spend like their friends.
 Social norms—that prioritise girls’ reproductive roles and boys’ productive roles.
Poverty
‘My 13-year-old
doesn’t go to
school. I can’t
afford it.
(Syrian mother)
Norms
for
girls
‘In my family girls don't
complete their education.
They only study until
grade seven or eight. The
girl in the end [is
intended] for her
husband's house. These
are our customs and
traditions.’ (17-year-old
Syrian girl)
Norms
for
boys
‘Parents let their boys
drop out of school
starting from sixth
grade so they can help
them with work.’
(12-year-old Syrian girl)
Labour
market
realities
‘My brother graduated
college and he’s been
unemployed for a year
and a half now…. It is not
only my brother, most of
his friends graduated
and are unemployed.’
(Jordanian 17-year-old
boy)
Conflict
and
displacement
‘I tried when I first
arrived in Jordan… They
refused and said I
couldn’t go to school…
I felt hurt and I never
went again.’
(older Syrian boy)
Amplified
by
adolescence
‘Teachers punish
those who do not
wear school
uniforms, but how
can a girl explain the
reason for that in
front of the other
girls? She would be
embarrassed.’
(younger Syrian girl)

Cash is supporting access to education
 Enrolment and attendance are higher for Hajati cash beneficiaries—especially in ITS
 Monthly expenditures on education are higher for cash beneficiaries-- 34 vs 19 JOD/month
‘Hajati lets me buy books, pencils, rubbers and
notebooks for my children.’ (Syrian mother)
‘If the financial support did not exist, then
parents have two choices, either they are able
to pay for the transportation from their own
expenses, or they will have to stop their
daughter from going.’ (Makani KI)
‘If I did not receive support from Hajati, I would not be able to provide internet
for my children. The situation is really bad.’ (Syrian father)
‘My son Omar does not like to go to
the school no matter how I tried with
him, I tried to convince him to learn for
the sake of learning. UNICEF gave us
25 dinars, so I told him now please go
to school so they keep giving up this
money.’ (Syrian mother)
 Cash has become more important with COVID closures:

The value add of Makani ‘plus’ programming for education
Makani tutorials
improve learning
Makani life-skills support
classroom engagement
Makani centers help
children enroll
‘I know that I should go to my
teacher and tell her (that I don’t
understand). If I hadn’t learned
this at Makani, I wouldn’t tell
the teacher, so it was so useful.’
'We receive children who
don't go to schools and
rehabilitate them so they
can return to schools, their
natural places’.
(Makani facilitator)
‘If we go to a centre and if we
do not understand a certain
lesson, we tell the teacher in
the centre and they help us.’
(13-year-old girl)
Makani has been critical during school closures
 55% of those participating prior to COVID have received learning support from Makani
 50% of those have received support every day (via online apps, SMS texts)
‘[The support we are getting from Makani] is very helpful for us now…They also
explained how to study through TV … We talk through WhatsApp and Imo, too’.

BUT social assistance could do more to support adolescent education
The real and opportunity costs of education are higher for adolescents—but Hajati stipends
are static (25 JOD/month) across ages and grades
 Tutoring becomes important as adolescents progress through school
 Boys’ opportunity costs grow (vis-à-vis paid work)
 Girls’ transport costs grow (due to sexual harassment risks)
‘The more they grow up,
the more needs they
have.’ (KI, MoE)
‘For fifth and sixth grade,
these are the tough
years, one can get a
tutor.’ (Syrian mother)
‘The minimum amount should be
35 JOD. Increasing the money
would mean that children are
not obligated or forced to go to
work so they can help their
families, because 35 JOD is what
they would usually earn.’
(Makani KI)
‘When it comes to
transportation, it is important
for middle and especially high
school, as usually these are far
from where they live.’
(Makani KI)

In-kind support and support beyond basic education are also key
 Adolescents would like in-kind support as well as cash.
 Hajati does not support students at the secondary level.
 There are too few scholarships for tertiary education—which reduces
interest in secondary.
‘The money that will be spent on school materials will be
spent on rent - and food.’ (younger Syrian girl)
‘When he turned 15, they stopped giving him Hajati… although his expenses increased, and he
needed more cash than before. I don’t know why these are the rules.’ (Syrian mother)
‘They would have the capability to buy pens and notebooks, but not a new uniform
because it is more expensive. So, I would rather have the uniform instead.’
(older Syrian girl)

Makani could be better tailored to support adolescent education
‘Entertainment is a need, not a want, from adolescents’ perspectives.’ (Makani KI)
‘My teacher in the centre gave us a brief overview about photography…. I began loving
photography.’ (17-year-old Syrian boy)
Engage adolescents with more hands-on courses on topics they care about to
encourage interest in education.
Adolescents need and want educational and career guidance.
‘The Syrians came from rural side of Syria…they didn’t have education, all their life was based on
work.’ (Makani KI)
‘Some parents keep saying that if you finish your education or not, it’s the same thing, since you
are not going to go to university nor are you going to find a job. This mentality is frustrating.’
(older girl)
‘My mother in-law doesn’t mind me going back to school again. But my husband doesn’t allow it.’
(married Syrian girl)
Engage caretakers (including husbands and in-laws) on the value of education –
for boys and girls.

Adolescent health and nutrition vulnerabilities
Poor nutrition
• At baseline, diet diversity was poor.
• Married girls are especially vulnerable,
because they are deprioritized in the
household.
• COVID has increased food insecurity—
16% increase in hunger in the last month
Lack of puberty education
• Few adolescents have timely, complete
information about their changing bodies.
‘I did not tell her about periods, this generation is
taught by themselves, they teach each other.
They know more than me’ (Syrian mother)
For boys, substance use
• 34% had smoked cigarettes
• 45% had smoked shisha
• 36% reported increased smoking due to
COVID stress
‘Since the virus started, we smoke more
hashish.’ (younger Syrian boy)
For girls, adolescent pregnancy
• At baseline, only 43% of married girls could
identify a form of contraception.
• COVID has reduced girls’ access to
contraception and maternity care.
‘I asked my husband, but he doesn’t have money
for it now’. (married Syrian girl)
Age
related
Gender
related

Social assistance supports adolescent health & nutrition
‘This was so useful for our children because it helped us
in terms of health and nutrition.’ (Syrian mother)
Improves diets
 WFP vouchers are critical to HH food
security
 88% of Hajati beneficiaries report that
cash improves children's nutrition
Supports access to health care
 Our 2017 work for UNHCR and
UNICEF found that cash beneficiaries
are more than twice as likely to
spend money on children’s health
care (50% vs 19%)
‘We get the food coupon each month … My
mother buys rice, sugar, flour, margarine, and
oil … and tea.’ (17-year-old Syrian girl)
‘UNHCR is funding women, giving birth
and returning without paying anything.’
(Syrian mother)

The value add of Makani ‘plus’ programming for health
‘The doctor in Makani said you should
drink 2 cups of milk, and I take zaatar
[thyme] and olive sandwiches with me to
school.‘ (12-year-old Jordanian boy)
‘I took a course at the Makani center,
called “The Woman and the Girl”, and
brought along a female doctor so we
could ask her anything.’
(14-year-old girl, Azraq)
 Teaches adolescents about nutrition and puberty
 Provides a space for active play and sports—which is especially important
for girls.
 24% of older girls who attend Makani play a sport—vs 12% of those
who do not

BUT social protection could do more to promote good health
1
• Meet HH costs for medication and care-related transportation—esp during COVID-also
provide hygiene kits, esp in ITS and host communities
2
• Improve access to quality school feeding (when schools are in session)
3
• Step up provision of puberty education courses through plus programming
4
• Offer substance use education for boys (and fathers) through plus programming
5
• Develop girls’ only exercise classes through plus programming
6
• Reach out to marital families to promote contraception and equitable access to food
through plus programming
7
• Adolescent targeted transfers could support girls’ health—but perhaps harm boys

Adolescents face violence in myriad environments
At home:
 37% of female caregivers admitted to using
violent discipline in the last month
 8% admitted to severely beating their adolescent
child in the last month
‘I have no solution except beating
them. I like beating… it is like
emptying and a release.’
(Syrian mother, host community)
At school:
 58% of boys and 26% of girls have experienced
corporal punishment in the last month
In the community:
 Boys are bullied by their peers
 Nearly all older girls face sexual harassment
‘He took my hand. I was shocked for two days and I did not eat at that time
and I kept crying. After that, I never went out on my own.’
(older girl, Zaatari refugee camp)
‘They beat us with the blade.’
(10-year-old Syrian boy, host community)

Child marriage is common, complex, and often violent

COVID has amplified violence in the home
‘50% of families suffered from increased stress and
conflicts intensified. Men are not used to staying at
home, feel frustrated, and during the curfew the
stressful relationships between parents were projected
onto children and adolescents.’ (Health KI)
Photo taken by 18-year-old Palestinian girl
•53% of adolescents reported more HH stress
during the pandemic
•49% reported HH members are more angry
•Married girls are especially at risk—of yelling,
physical violence, and forced sex

Social protection can support adolescents' bodily integrity
Makani ‘plus’ programming is aimed at
protecting young people from violence:
 Cash and food vouchers reduce
parental stress.
 Of older girls, those who attend
Makani were 30% more likely to
know where to seek support from
violence.
Centres work
with parents
and girls to
reject child
marriage.
Centres
teach girls
how to protect
themselves
from sexual
harassment.
Centres
support social
cohesion—
and reduce
bullying.
Centres help
families
interface with
schools to
stop corporal
punishment.
Centres
work with
adolescents
on how and
where to
report.
Centres teach
adolescents to
recognize
violence and
know their
rights.
Centres work
with parents
on alternative
discipline
strategies.

Social protection could do more
1
• Cash could be used to keep girls in school through
secondary school—which would delay marriage.
2
• Makani does too little work with boys and men—as
brothers, peers, husbands or fathers.
3
• Makani messaging on child marriage—to parents and
girls—often falls flat because it is not nuanced
4
• Makani messaging is not addressing consanguineous
marriage customs.
5
• Makani does too little to proactively target married girls
to reduce their vulnerability.
‘If you offer this woman
cash every term, she will be
convinced to allow her
daughter to study…the girls
can stay without marriage
until 19 or 20.’
(Syrian mother)
‘My husband used to pour
water in my ears, because
these things don’t leave any
marks on the outside.’
(19-year-old Syrian)

Threats to adolescents’ psychosocial wellbeing
At baseline, about 1/3 of adolescents exhibited
psychological distress.
• Distress is caused by household violence,
displacement-driven uncertainty, and
poverty.
‘Depression … comes from very severe poverty … It has
a high effect on adolescents as all their needs aren’t
complete.’ (social worker)
Girls are distressed by gender norms that lead to
sexual harassment, social isolation, and child
marriage.
• At baseline, older girls were 38% less likely to
leave home daily and 54% less likely to leave the
community weekly (than older boys).
‘I don’t allow my daughters to get out of home. They may
look from the door for 5 minutes and then I ask them to close
it.’ (Palestinian mother)
Pandemic restrictions have deepened girls’ isolation and distress.
• Older girls report not leaving home for a mean of 5 days—compared
to 2.9 for boys.
• 70% of girls reported more gender-based constraints on their
behaviour post-COVID
‘I’m not happy with my life. The life in general is miserable.’ (Syrian girl)

Social assistance helps—at least for age-related risks
Of Hajati beneficiaries:
 95% report reduced anxiety about income
 75% report improved social connections
 70% report improved access to recreation for children
GAGE adolescents report that cash lets them enjoy some leisure time:
‘We go to play PlayStation …each
one pays 0.5 JD.’
(16-year-old Syrian boy)
‘My father, my mother, and her family told us to have fun. They took us to a place called
Winter Valley …and there were swimming pools and waterfalls. They wanted to have some
fun…. It was the most beautiful day. We still remember the day.’ (younger Syrian girl)
‘We went on a trip. We were joyful, we had a barbecue,
and we were happy.’ (10-year-old Palestinian girl)

Makani centres foster supportive relationships
‘Everyone in the centre is smiling … because they have the opportunity to leave
home and see one another.’ (16-year-old girl, ITS)
Centres provide adolescents with a safe space to interact with each other.
‘You can talk to her if you have any problem and she helps you to solve it.’
(Younger girl, Zaatari)
Centres connect adolescents with caring adults
‘Girls … feel some positive change in their relations with the family …after their
and their parents' participation in such activities.’ (Makani facilitator)
Centres strengthen parent-child relationships
‘There was a course I participated in…It was mixed between Syrian and Jordanian
girls…I used to have some prejudice but then it all turned out to be wrong.’
Centres foster social cohesion

Makani centres support agency and resilience
‘We learn if we face a problem, we
shouldn’t feel that is a difficult problem…
We should face the problem.’
(10-year-old Syrian girl, Zaatari)
‘My son used to fight a lot with the other kids, so there was a teacher that taught him and
helped him to change. This teacher told him that he’s a hero…His personality became
stronger and more confident.’ (Syrian mother, host community)
‘Self-confidence is the most powerful skill
we benefited from, as it raised our
awareness and increased our confidence.’
(18-year-old Jordanian boy)
‘One of the projects created by the girls … was a distributor fan inside kitchens [to remove
smells]. They made it from simple materials and presented their project in front of
community members and leaders … They comfortably received and answered their
questions.’ (Makani KI)
In part by providing adolescents with opportunities to do and lead

‘Plus’ programming could do more
‘I would like to register at Makani, but
my mother refuses…. it’s the distance
and that there are boys there.’
(younger Syrian girl)
‘Because I have a baby, so I can't get
out.’ (14-year-old Syrian mother)
‘The interaction with parents of younger
children is the greatest.’ (Makani KI)
‘Classes that interfere with some
traditions and customs, like the relation
between the male and female … are
totally refused by the community.’
(Makani KI)
1
Too little interaction with the parents of
adolescents.
2
Too little outreach to parents of girls—which
leaves girls excluded.
3
Too little focus in parenting classes on
gendered parenting practices and how they
limit girls’ lives (e.g. restrictions on mobility
and access to technology and peers).
4
Married girls are almost entirely shut out of
programming:
• Due to lack of outreach to marital families
• Due to childcare responsibilities.

Household poverty is deepening
Prior to COVID, of households receiving
Hajati, only a minority had a working adult.
Earned income is generally very low.
149
42
132
58
90
0
50
100
150
200
Fathers Mothers Other adults Boys< 16 Boys 17-18
Mean monthly wage in JOD of those in work (by household member)
COVID has further stressed households.
‘Debt is now common among our community, even my family borrows money for food and
vegetables…The financial situation is much harder than at the beginning of the pandemic.’
(younger Syrian girl, Zaatari refugee camp)
‘The financial situation of my family is very difficult. My father lost his work and my brothers
also struggle.’ (younger Jordanian boy)

Few adolescents are economically empowered
• Due to household poverty.
• Due to cultural age hierarchies.
• Girls were disadvantaged compared to boys
• >> 22% of older girls vs 28% of older boys
At baseline, few GAGE adolescents (24%) had controlled any cash in the last year.
• Girls have little access to paid work because of gender norms.
• Boys have little access to decent paid work because of labour market realities.
At baseline, most (73%) GAGE adolescents aspired to professional careers BUT…
‘Vocational training is an overly complicated subject in the Ministry of Education.’
(MoE KI)
‘What adolescents need in the camp is craft centres and vocational training. We don’t
have this here.’ (Palestinian father)
For adolescent refugees—esp boys-- access to TVET courses is limited.

Social protection is helping households make ends meet—BUT
‘There is no funding at the moment…if the person is
patient until the funding comes, he will be dead.’
(Syrian father)
 Our 2017 work for UNHCR and UNICEF found that only Syrian HHs benefitting from UNHCR
and UNICEF cash as well as WFP food support were “breaking even” on a monthly basis.
 Our 2020 work for UNICEF found that of households receiving Hajati—nearly all income is
from social assistance.
 Per capita monthly income is only 47 JOD.
 The mean monthly gap between income and expenditures is
NEGATIVE 2 JOD/capita.
 Gaps are largest in Amman, because rent is the highest.
 Respondents agree that cash is meets survival needs—barely.
 But the larger issue is that too few households have sustained access.
‘It barely fulfils our basic
needs… We can’t regularly
buy things for our children
or enhance the quality of
food.’ (Syrian mother)
‘One can afford living with a small amount
of food ... but it would be impossible
without a house.’ (Syrian father)

Social protection is beginning to support skills training, but
efforts are small scale and nascent
A planned pilot for training has been delayed by COVID
‘The idea of this programme is to extend Hajati services to cover the transition from learning to earning for
Hajati beneficiary families – 2 year programme for families with young people 18-24 – focused on building
the capacity of youth to access economic engagement and employment opportunities.’ (UNICEF KI)
UNICEF offers some
scholarships for training.
‘We have scholarship method,
which is basically paying for
vulnerable youth to go and
have different programs.’
(UNICEF KI)
UNHCR is disseminating some
information.
‘They gave us a brochure about
colleges were you can go after
10th grade to study cooking,
sewing, cosmetics, business..
Some for 3 or 9 months.’
Makani has some initiatives
that support income
generation.
‘They started an initiative
making tables from cars
wheels... they sell them to earn
money and return the money to
the people who took part.’
(Makani KI)

Case management could support the most vulnerable
‘That kind of thing – linking a cash incentive
programme to a social assistance programme
associated with a trigger identified as keeping a child is
out of school, it would be very helpful.’ (FCDO KI)
‘I don’t want the social worker to tell my mother and father
about my problems…my father would be angry that I didn’t
tell him of my problems.’ (younger Syrian girl)
‘We succeeded by the intensity
of follow up.’ (CARE KI)
‘Our society doesn’t accept
this…They don’t allow having
a stranger in the house.’
(married Syrian girl)
1
Respondents agreed that active case management could help meet complex needs.
2
Parents felt it could motivate their children to stay in school.
3
Adolescents liked the idea—but noted a need for cultural sensitivity.

Recap
of
education
and
health 1
What’s worked?
Cash supports access to education and Makani ‘plus’ supports access and learning
2
What could be improved?
Adolescents need larger stipends—not no stipends—for boys to offset opportunity costs of lost
work, for girls to offset real costs and ‘overcome’ gender norms
3
COVID implications
HHs need more support to buy devices and airtime—and adolescents need more support to help
offset quality issues and boredom with online learning—they will also need help to catch up, once
schools re-open, and outreach to the most vulnerable at risk of not re-enrolling.
1
What’s worked?
Cash and food vouchers have been critical to HH food security—and most health care needs are
covered for free.
2
Adolescents’ specific age-related health needs have been ignored; boys smoking is not addressed
and girls are not free to use free contraception.
3
COVID implications
Age related risks have been exacerbated, as access to care has been limited. There is an increased
need for hygiene kits, esp in host communities and ITS.

Recap
of
bodily
integrity
and
psychosocial
wellbeing 1
What’s worked?
Cash has reduced HH stress levels and violence and Makani ‘plus’ programming has contributed to
reductions on a range of types of violence.
2
Girls’ risk of child marriage would drop in tandem with stipends for secondary school, marriage
messaging needs nuancing, and the most vulnerable are often shut out of programming by those
who harm them.
3
COVID implications
Violence has escalated as support has dropped—those in camps have been relatively better
supported, as ‘plus’ supports scaled more quickly and complement informal support.
1
What’s worked?
Cash has reduced HH stress and increased adolescent fun—Makani ‘plus’ has increased resilience
by building self-confidence and strengthening support networks.
2
The most vulnerable remain excluded and there is too little appetite for engaging parents on topics
including gender norms.
3
COVID implications
Isolation and distress have been amplified—esp for girls—with those in camps relatively better
supported. There is a need to engage communities on building adolescent resilience.

Recap
of
economic
empowerment
1
What’s worked?
Support is helping HHs meet survival needs and there are some efforts to help
adolescents acquire the skills they need for longer-term self-sufficiency.
2
Given labour market realities, support is too limited. Cash needs to be made
available to more HHs for longer—and adolescents need more support to find
decent employment. The most vulnerable HHs would benefit from case
management.
3
COVID implications
With unemployment and poverty at higher levels, support should be scaled up for
the foreseeable future—esp in host communities, where there are fewer other
sources of support and costs are higher.

Publications
‘Some got married, others
don’t want to attend
school as they are
involved in income-
generation
Social protection in humanitarian contexts: how
can programming respond to adolescent- and
gender-specific vulnerabilities and promote young
people’s resilience? (unicef-irc.org)
Achieving social protection
for all adolescents: how
can a gender norms lens
support more effective
programming? | GAGE
(odi.org)
Interrogating the potential of a “cash plus”
approach to tackle multidimensional
vulnerability in humanitarian contexts: the case
of Syrian refugees in Jordan : Social Policy in the
Middle East and North Africa (elgaronline.com)
For more resources see:
https://www.gage.odi.org/publications/
Adolescents in
Humanitarian Crisis
(forthcoming June 2021)

Contact Us
WEBSITE
www.gage.odi.org
TWITTER
@GAGE_programme
FACEBOOK
GenderandAdolescence
About GAGE:
 Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence
(GAGE) is a nine-year (2015-2024) mixed-
methods longitudinal research programme
focused on what works to support
adolescent girls’ and boys’ capabilities in
the second decade of life and beyond.
 We are following the lives of 18,000
adolescents in six focal countries in Africa,
Asia and the Middle East.

Promoting Young People's Resilience Through Social Protection

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