Priority Areas Gender-Based Violence Youth and Gender Gender Implications and Vulnerabilities of HIV/AIDS Constructive Male Engagement				Home > Priority Areas > Youth and Gender Youth (ages 10-24) and Gender With about half of all new HIV infections and at least one-third of all new sexually transmitted infections occurring to people under age 25, and with 42% of young women in the developing world giving birth by the age of 20, efforts to protect and inform youth must take place on a large scale. As with adults, gender norms greatly influence young people's attitudes and behaviors, and access to and use of information and services. Moreover, the social and developmental consequences of young people's reproductive decisions can have an effect on the rest of their lives. Girls are particularly vulnerable to reproductive health problems for both biological and social reasons, and often have little say over the conditions of sexual relations and childbearing, whether they take place within marriage or outside it. Boys, however, are also at risk, either by complying with expected gender norms that encourage high-risk sexual behavior, or by stepping outside of those norms. Key themes of interest to the IGWG: Child marriage Cross-generational sex Fostering a gender perspective in sex education and life skills programs Gender socialization of boys and girls Generational influences and relationships Abstinence, delay of sexual debut, and safer sex Dual protection Youth and Gender activities sponsored and funded by the IGWG New Insights on Preventing Child Marriage: A Global Analysis of Factors and Programs (PDF: 1.2MB) A new study conducted by ICRW for the IGWG found that key factors such as girls’ education, spousal age gap, and poverty strongly determine whether girls in the developing world will become child brides. (April 2007) Addressing Cross-Generational Sex: A Desk Review of Research and Programs (PDF: 800KB) This publication, produced by the IGWG and the Interagency Youth Working Group (IYWG), presents definitions and prevalence of cross-generational sex, explores interventions and promising practices aimed at reducing risks associated with cross-generational sex outside of marriage, and makes recommendations for next steps. (August 2007) IGWG Technical Update on Child Marriage IGWG Technical Update on child marriage and its negative implications for public health and human rights was held in Washington D.C. in July 2006. Speakers included representatives from Tostan (Senegal), the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association, and BRAC (Bangladesh). Over 100 participants heard the results and the review commissioned by IGWG and by ICRW and successful interventions in the field. The agenda, participant list, speaker bios, and powerpoint presentations are available here. Do Empowered Mothers Foster Gender Equity and Better Reproductive Health in the Next Generation? A Qualitative Analysis from Rural Bangladesh (PDF: 69KB) This six-page policy brief investigates whether empowered mothers and mothers-in-law are more likely to promote better reproductive health and positive gender norms among married daughters and daughters-in-law in the next generation. The brief, based on a study funded in part by an IGWG small grant, includes recommendations for making policies and programs more effective in supporting women's empowerment. "Married Youth and their Mothers: Do Empowered Mothers Foster Gender-Equitable Relationships and Better Reproductive Health among Young People in Rural Bangladesh?" Empowerment of Women Research Program/John Snow, Inc. This study, implemented by Sid Schuler and colleagues of the Empowerment of Women Research Program, is utilizing quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate whether empowered women (mothers and mothers-in-law) foster gender equity among their sons and daughters (in-law). Specifically, it is investigating whether women's empowerment influences second generation relationships and gender-equity, first, by affecting the decisions and behaviors of couples (choice of spouse, age at marriage, onset of childbearing, gender-based violence, male involvement in RH, etc.) and, indirectly, by shaping their children's attitudes, expectations, and opportunities.