Collective Action forAdolescent GirlsInitiative (CAAGI)Improving the choices for adolescent girls

What?Collective Action for Adolescent GirlsInitiative (CAAGI) is a Christian Aidfunded programme that aims toimprove significantly the choices andopportunities available for adolescentgirls in Northern Nigeria to liveproductive and meaningful lives.

It seeks to change individual andsocietal behaviours, attitudes andperceptions that hamper theopportunities of girls, using the stronginfluence of religion through religiousleaders as enablers to facilitate thischange. It is focused on addressingpractices around early marriage, lack ofaccess to education and economicempowerment for adolescent girls.

Where?Kaduna state, Nigeria: 12 communitiesin 3 Local Government Areas (LGAs)

Who?The primary beneficiaries of thisproject are adolescent girls in thetarget communities, however, theproject involves an expanded group ofstakeholders being brought together totake collective action for the girl child.The stakeholders involved are religiousleaders of the two majorly practicedreligion in Nigeria – Islam andChristianity. They are the primarystakeholder group. Other stakeholdersinvolved are parents of adolescent girlsand traditional leaders.

How?The project recognises that faithleaders are strong opinion leaders inthe society and can influence positiveattitude and behavioural changeswithin the society. It rests on thetheory that norms are influenced bydependent behaviours of individuals,meaning that if social influencers

CAAGI is working with religious and traditional leaders to influence societal and individual behaviours and attitudes so that girls like Aisha, a 20-year-old mother of two can have improved choices and opportunities available to them.

CAAGI at a glanceGoal:To improve choices and opportunitiesfor adolescent girls to live productive,meaningful lives in Northern Nigeria.

Strategy:Engaging and empowering faith andtraditional actors to bring about ashift in inequitable social practicesthat reinforce gender inequalities.

Specific issues:Early marriage, lack of access toeducation and economicempowerment

Funder:Christian Aid

Partners:Gender Awareness Trust andDevelopment and Peace Initiative

change their behaviours around anissue without any backlash, morepeople are likely to think the newbehaviour is acceptable, and will havethe confidence to take up the newbehaviour. Therefore, it seeks toachieve its aim by supporting faithactors and faith based institutions atcommunity, state and national levelsas appropriate to take action aroundmajor issues (education, early marriageand economic empowerment)affecting adolescent girls in thecontext of Northern Nigeria, therebyfacilitating behaviour change.

The project’s outcome is seen inbehavioural changes in faith actors,men, women and boys, around AGissues of education, marriage age andeconomic empowerment as well asshift in cultural practices that re-enforce genderdiscrimination/inequality.

When?2 years: April 2016 – March 2018

Why?Religion and culture play a significantrole in shaping the accepted norms ofsocieties in Northern Nigeria. Theseare deeply entrenched in the societyas the main source of inspiration aspeople rely on scriptural guidance,which also influences the day-to-daydecisions parents and society make,including about what choices areavailable to girls. Therefore, althoughadolescent girls in Northern Nigeriahave dreams and aspirations, culturaland religious pressures often limitthem.

The influence of faith actors inNorthern Nigeria is unique and huge.They have credibility as a trustedauthority within their communities andare well positioned to be a catalyst forchange, and therefore are highlyplaced to help adolescent girls liveproductive and meaningful lives.

Why Kaduna?Kaduna State is the third mostpopulous state in Nigeria with apopulation of about 6million people.Historically, Kaduna State is perceivedas the heart of Northern Nigeria: themost influential political and religious

leaders have strong roots in this state.It is also currently the provincial andregional headquarters of the ChristianAssociation of Nigeria (CAN), Catholic,Anglican and JNI (Muslim counterpartto CAN) congregations. The state has23 Local Government Areas (LGAs)split into three senatorial districts. Thenarrative guiding this project frominsights into the Political Economy ofNorthern Nigeria is that whateversystems and beliefs adopted inKaduna are easily replicated acrossmost parts of Northern Nigeria.

Sustainability mechanismsThe project is deliberately using theapproach of working with the faithactors and faith-based institutionsbecause they are extremely powerfulwhen it comes to change in norms andvalues of their communities and theyare permanent structures in thecommunity. Their support andownership of the project will enhanceproject sustainability.

Another sustainability plan is theemployment of an innovativecommunity approach called GenderEmpowerment and DevelopmentOrganizing Resource (GEADORCircles). The circles’ members arecommunity based that serve ascommunity resource to solvingcommunity problems. The GEADORcircles also serve as safe spaces forthe adolescent girls to be informedand become mentors to other girls inthe communities. In each community,GEADOR Circles of young men, youngwomen, men and women isestablished, with a membership of atleast 15 persons each per circle. Thereligious actors targeted and GEADORgroups are all permanent structuresand will outlive this pilot project,whereby the gains and anticipatedchanges for better life opportunitiesfor adolescent girls becomesustainable over time.

A Faith Actors Dialogue Forum hasbeen formed in the state, and thisconsists of Muslim and Christianactors who are working collectively todrive the change at the state andcommunity levels. To aid the work offaith leaders, a toolkit has beendeveloped as a key resource inbuilding their capacity to influencechange using scriptural backings.

Eng and Wales charity no. 1105851 Scot charity no. SC039150 Company no. 5171525 Christian Aid Ireland: NI charity no. NIC101631 Company no. NI059154 and ROI charity no. 20014162 Company no.426928. The Christian Aid name and logo are trademarks of Christian Aid © Christian Aid Photos: Christian Aid/Adebola Fatilewa

The willingness of faith leaders toinfluence change is key to thesuccess of the project, and a toolkithas been developed as a resourceto help them with this.

Christian Aid recognizes that thereare programs in Nigeria containingcomponents on working withreligious and traditional leaders, butthis project centers on engagingand empowering faith actors tobring about a change/ shift ininequitable social/culturalnorms/practices that reinforce thesegender inequalities, thereby creatinga positive environment for theadolescent girls to thrive.

This project is applying a “Do NoHarm” principle by avoidingconfrontational strategies, andinstead is instigating naturalconversations through the safespaces set up by the GEADORcircles and equally allow religiousactors discuss these issues freelyamongst their peers, holding eachother to account.

The project is championed by faithleaders and interfaith groupsincluding the Kaduna State chaptersof the Christian Association ofNigeria (CAN) and Jama’atu NasrilIslam,Women Interfaith Council (WIC),Federation of Muslim WomenAssociation Nigeria (FOWMAN),Women Wing of the ChristianAssociation of Nigeria (WOWICAN),Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC)and Global Peace Foundation,alongside women and men in thestate.

Find out more:www.collectiveactionforgirls.wordpress.com