GirlEngage Niger Activity Quarterly Report – FY24, Q1

The Activity, which began implementation in January 2022, puts girls at the center of change while working with boys, teachers, religious and community leaders, parents, civil society organizations, and state structures. GirlEngage incorporates the principles of human-centered design and positive youth development to empower girls to advocate for their rights and access quality education. Initially planned to cover 7 communes and 24 communities, GirlEngage activities were extended to the Zinder region with 2 additional communes and 8 communities. As of this third year of implementation, the number of communes has increased from 7 to 9, and the number of villages from 24 to 36. The Activity focuses on two main objectives: Objective 1, which aims to have religious leaders, community leaders, and parents value and prioritize the girl child in target communities, and Objective 2, which seeks to have adolescent girls have increased access to quality, safe basic education opportunities. During the period from October 1 to December 31, 2023, several activities were carried out, including the launch of GirlEngage project activities in two new intervention municipalities (Wacha and Bandé), monitoring activities, joint supervision missions, training of teachers and implementing partner staff on gender sensitivity, and a joint "back to school" mobilization campaign. Quarterly meetings of municipal committees and the regional committee of Maradi were also held, and the "16 days of activism" was celebrated in the regions of Maradi and Tillabéri. Additionally, the Activity participated in the Gender Equity and Social Inclusion and Youth (GESI-Y) working group collaboration meeting, conducted an action research led by girls in the regions of Maradi and Tillabéri, and recruited a consultant to conduct the mid-term evaluation of the project. Modular sessions and implementation of action plans for the beneficiary girls of safe spaces in the regions of Maradi and Tillabéri were finalized, and modular sessions in safe spaces in the commune of Magaria and the development of action plans by the beneficiary girls were completed. The results achieved this quarter include the launch of GirlEngage project activities in two new intervention municipalities, the training of teachers and implementing partner staff on gender sensitivity, and the celebration of the "16 days of activism" in the regions of Maradi and Tillabéri. The Activity also made progress on key indicators, including the number of girls who understand and are empowered to advocate for their rights, the number of boys and young men who understand their role in CEFm and are active in supporting delayed marriage, and the number of religious and community leaders who understand the negative effects of CEFm and promote delaying marriage. The Activity faced several challenges during implementation, including difficulties in accessing some areas due to security concerns and the need for additional resources to support the expansion of the Activity. To address these challenges, the Activity adapted its implementation plan and made recommendations to improve its performance. The Activity also plans to continue its activities in the next quarter, including the launch of new projects and the continuation of existing ones.