Submission ID 130568
| Issue/Objective | Very young adolescents (VYA) aged 10-14 are frequently excluded from SRHR research and programming due to ethical concerns and assumptions about capacity, limiting evidence for early intervention. Using vignette based tools co-created with VYA, this study examined how age appropriate methods can support translation of adolescent perspectives into programmatic decision making, thereby strengthening equity-driven responses during early adolescence - a critical life stage when gender norms, agency, and health trajectories are forming. |
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| Methodology/Approach | Participatory workshops were conducted with girls and boys aged 10-14 in five councils of Katavi Region, Tanzania. Adolescents co-created vignette scenarios reflecting common SRHR challenges related to puberty, relationships, pregnancy, and gender based violence. The vignettes were applied in facilitated discussions with adolescents across school settings. Data were analysed thematically to identify patterns related to voice, freedom of movement, and decision making. |
| Results | Vignettes enabled VYA to safely articulate concerns, strategies, and constraints often missed by conventional research methods. Findings revealed early gendered limitations on agency, strong social pressures that influence help seeking, and differences in how school environments shape adolescents' willingness to speak and act. These dynamics were often expressed indirectly through the scenarios, allowing participants to reflect on sensitive experiences without personal disclosure. Overall, the use of vignettes surfaced layered negotiations of risk, obedience, and autonomy that are typically difficult to capture among this age group. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | Vignette based tools offer a practical, ethical approach for translating VYAs voices into usable evidence for SRHR programming. By making VYAs experiences visible, comparable, and actionable, this approach allows programs to adjust design and track whether systems are responding to identified gendered barriers. This experience highlights how simple, adaptable tools can help translate research to evidence informed global health practice and contribute to more inclusive, early, and equity driven SRHR responses. |
| Presenters and Affiliations | Janani Vijayaraghavan Plan International Canada Dunstan Matungwa National Institute for Medical Research Stella Kilima National Institute for Medical Research Daniela Donia Plan International Canada Esteria Kisoka Plan International Tanzania Mussa Kabele Plan International Tanzania Denna Mkwashapi National Institute for Medical Research |
