GIRL-H: Girls and women improving resilience through livelihoods and health
Young women in impoverished semi-rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa face significant barriers to living healthy lives, including limited access to quality healthcare, high costs, and harmful gender norms that discourage them from seeking care.
GIRL-H addresses these challenges by supporting women with the knowledge, agency, and resources needed to thrive. We create ‘safe spaces’ through peer support groups led by mentors, enabling young women to connect, explore business and job opportunities, and access health information and services. The programme also engages young men in challenging harmful gender norms and fostering a supportive, enabling environment.
GIRL-H is designed with women, not for them. We believe that women hold the key to solving the challenges they face, and their unique experiences, backgrounds, abilities, needs, and aspirations must guide our approach. Through personalised mentorship and tailored pathways, GIRL-H meets women where they are—offering solutions that are as diverse as their circumstances. Led by an impressive all-African team, we hire team members with an in-depth understanding of social, cultural, and religious nuances of the communities where we work.
Since 2020, GIRL-H has reached 70,000 young women and men across Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria and is poised to impact many thousands more with a recent expansion into Sudan and South Sudan.
Recent external evaluations indicate significant improvements in key financial capacities, life skills, sexual and reproductive health knowledge and hygiene, and food security. Participants reported increased confidence, independence, and improved social skills. They spoke extensively about how the safe spaces improved their confidence to handle real-life challenges and deepened their connection to other participants. Participants also reported a positive shift in gender norms and becoming more actively involved in household decision-making.
The programme’s impact extends beyond individuals, inspiring community-wide change, with GIRL-H participants becoming community role models and inspiring their peers.
Evaluations and Reports
Recent evaluations of GIRL-H indicate participants experienced significant improvements in key financial capacities, life skills, SHR knowledge and hygiene, and food security. More details about the evaluation results can be found in the reports below.
GIRL-H Programme External Evaluation Report (October 2024)
GIRL-H Programme Evaluation Midline Report for Kenya and Uganda (May 2023)
GIRL-H Programme in Nigeria Outcome Harvesting Report (July 2023)
Learn more about GIRL-H
Over the past four years, GIRL-H has successfully strengthened the well-being and resilience of young women. With further support, we can deepen this impactful model by strengthening access to local government health systems, and local markets to help thousands more young women build a prosperous future. Please reach out to our team to learn more.
Chelsea Wieber
Director, Strategic Partnerships and Philanthropy
cwieber@mercycorps.org
Britt Rosenberg
Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships and Philanthropy
brosenberg@mercycorps.org
For media inquiries:
Natalie Fath
Director, Global Communications
nfath@mercycorps.org
More GIRL-H stories
Stories of Change: Sexual Reproductive Health Rights Programme
Empowering change: One girl’s journey to brighter days and a secure future
