Working to Empower Girls in Nigeria
A major challenge for countries around the world is ensuring that youth find their place in the world of work. As documented by the International Labour Organization,2 the World Bank,3 and others, young women face especially difficult transitions where lack of education, lack of mobility, and restrictive norms impose additional constraints. A range of programs have been tried to address these constraints, with a growing body of evidence pointing to the need for multipronged approaches to address the multiple challenges young women face. In this context, The Coca-Cola Company, together with several partners, launched the Educating Nigerian Girls in New Enterprises (ENGINE) program with the aim of boosting the learning outcomes and economic status of marginalized adolescent girls in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa. Nigeria has a young population, with a median age of about 18 years.
The national economy is dominated by a vibrant oil production sector, but threats from terrorist organizations like Boko Haram create major insecurity and instability. Women and girls are often constrained in their pursuit of education and employment by restrictive gender norms. Nigerian women are less likely than men to engage in paid work, and those who do work for pay are more likely to work informally. ENGINE sought to reach marginalized girls, defined by such criteria as being married, pregnant or having a child before the age of 18; girls who are divorced or widowed; unmarried girls who are orphans or come from a single-parent household; having a disability; living in a household with a family member who has a disability; or being unable to pay school fees.
The program sought to expand opportunities for girls ages 16–19, both those who were in school and those who were not, by building their confidence; increasing their financial management, business, and leadership skills; and working to influence gender norms around women and girls’ economic empowerment in the community. Key components of the program included providing safe spaces for girls and tutoring them in math, English, and financial management, leadership, and life skills. For girls who were not in school, the program provided additional support, mentoring girls who were running their own businesses, connecting girls to value chains, and providing opportunities to join savings groups.
The program ran in two nine-month cycles, beginning in 2014 and ending in 2016. By March 2017, the program had reached some 21,000 girls, with an average age of 18, in the poor northern states of Kaduna and Kano, the sprawling metropolis of Lagos, and the capital, Abuja. Drawing on evaluations that compared learning outcomes, economic activities, savings practices, and self-confidence between girls in the program and girls who did not participate in ENGINE, this report highlights and shares lessons to inform future programs that work to empower marginalized adolescent girls. What difference did ENGINE make? Overall, the results are encouraging. ENGINE succeeded in creating a space for marginalized girls to access life and business skills, boost confidence and agency, and expand their opportunities to be economically more empowered.