Submission ID 118510
| Issue/Objective | Adolescents in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) continue to face significant barriers in accessing inclusive, gender-responsive adolescent mental, sexual, and reproductive health (AMSRH) services. Despite global commitments to youth engagement, adolescents are often excluded from decision-making processes affecting their health. Context analyses in Ghana and Niger identified structural and socio-cultural barriers, including entrenched gender norms and discriminatory practices, which undermine adolescent participation in AMSRH design and delivery with girls and young women facing the greatest exclusion. Transforming these systems requires long-term, transformative approaches that provoke critical consciousness and foster inclusive participation. Theatre for Development (TfD), a participatory arts-based method, offers a compelling approach to engage adolescents and communities in dialogue on complex health and social issues. A TfD intervention was thus developed to promote adolescent voice, participation, and agency in AMSRH programming in Ghana and Niger. |
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| Methodology/Approach | Guided by Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed, the TfD intervention uses script co-creation and Augusto Boal's Forum Theatre to stimulate dialogue, critical reflection, and collaborative problem-solving. Scripts were co-developed by adolescents and stakeholders around pressing AMSRH issues: drug abuse in both countries; teenage pregnancy in Ghana; and menstruation and child marriage in Niger. These scripts will be used to stage live performances in Ga East/Madina (Ghana) and Niamey (Niger). A theory-driven process evaluation is being conducted in parallel, using interviews, focus groups, participant and non-participant observations, and video recordings to assess effectiveness and early shifts in attitudes and behaviors. |
| Results | Though implementation is ongoing, early findings from the process evaluation of script co-creation and drama session rehearsals suggest that TfD is an effective platform for raising awareness and facilitating inclusive dialogue. Adolescents are beginning to express their views more confidently, and initial observations indicate a growing willingness among participants to challenge harmful gender norms and reflect on AMSRH-related health and rights. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | TfD, rooted in Freirean pedagogy, shows promising potential as a gender-transformative strategy for advancing adolescent voice, leadership, and community engagement in AMSRH. Its use of storytelling and role-play offers a safe yet impactful way to address sensitive issues, laying the foundation for long-term, community-led transformation and improved youth agency in health systems. |
| Presenters and affiliations | Emelia Afi Agblevor Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons Saidou Oumarou Mahamane Laboratoire d'Etudes et de Recherche sur les Dynamiques Sociales et le Développement Local, Niamey, Niger Bernice Gyawu Dodowa Health Research Centre, Research and Development Division, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana Priscilla Prempeh Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons Lauren J. Wallace Dodowa Health Research Centre, Research and Development Division, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana Natasha A. Darko Dodowa Health Research Centre, Research and Development Division, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana Ann-Michelle Darko Dodowa Health Research Centre, Research and Development Division, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana Maame Akua O. Asiamah Dodowa Health Research Centre, Research and Development Division, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana Aissa Diarra ; Laboratoire d'Etudes et de Recherche sur les Dynamiques Sociales et le Développement Local, Niamey, Niger Tolib Mirzoev London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Irene A. Agyepong Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons |
