African Educational Research Journal Vol. 13(2) - Full Length Research Paper - Shifting gender social norms amidst expanded expression of empowerment and agency

Oct 15, 2026

The Every Adolescent Girl Empowered and Resilient (EAGER) project targets marginalized out-of-school adolescent girls in Sierra Leone through an informal education initiative. Using a feminist lens, Sierra Leonean researchers examine how girls and caregivers perceive empowerment and social norms. Over three weeks of in-depth interviews and focus groups across three districts, the study analyzes how norms shape agency and how participants navigate them to generate positive change. Results show gains in confidence, assertiveness, communication skills, community contribution, and gradual movement toward shifting constraints.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Purpose and context of the EAGER project

Research approach and theoretical framing

Research questions

African Educational Research Journal Vol. 13(2), pp. 136-147, April 2025 DOI: 10. 30918/AERJ.132.25.016 ISSN: 2354-2160 Full Length Research Paper Shifting gender social norms amidst expanded expression of empowerment and agency: Out-of-schoolgirls in Sierra Leone's EAGER project Marlana Salmon-Letelier*, Valnora Edwin, Bintu Kamara, Lena Thompson, Giulia Di Filippantonio, Johanna Arp, Isabel Pearson and Jennifer Artibello International Rescue Committee Accepted 8 April, 2025 | ABSTRACT
The Every Adolescent Girl Empowered and Resilient (EAGER) project addresses the vital issue of empowering marginalized out-of-school adolescent girls in Sierra Leone through an informal education initiative. Our study, conducted by Sierra Leonean researchers using a feminist lens, explores the perspectives of both girls and caregivers on empowerment and social norms. Through in-depth interviewsand focus group discussions over a three-week period, we explore how social norms shape the girls' agency and how they navigate them to create positive change. These sessions included 20 EAGER participants, 10 caregivers, 5 mentors, 2 facilitators, and one husband of an EAGER participant across three selected districts (Western Area Urban, Kambia, and Kono) . The findings reveal that, while the girls operated within existing social structures, they gained confidence, assertiveness, and enhanced communication skills through the EAGER program, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to their communities and gradually shift social constraints. We believe this research offers important insights into sustainable gender empowerment through education and contributes to broader discussions about fostering agency through education within restrictive societal frameworks.
Keywords: Gender norms, Sierra Leone, empowerment, youth education, girls’ education. | | --- | | *Corresponding [author. E-mail: marlana.e.salmon@gmail.com](author. E-mail: marlana.e.salmon@gmail.com). | INTRODUCTION The Every Adolescent Girl Empowered and Resilient (EAGER) project was an inspiring initiative dedicated to the education and empowerment of girls, providing transformative learning opportunities to 27,322 out-ofschool adolescent girls in Sierra Leone's 10 districts. EAGER was carefully tailored to meet the specific educational and psychosocial needs of girls aged 13 to 19, who had previously missed out on formal schooling due to life circumstances, gender inequalities, and social norms. These barriers, including demanding household responsibilities and stigma linked to factors such as early marriage and teenage pregnancy, were recognized as critical factors hindering their access to learning. To overcome these barriers and nurture their psychosocial well-being, resilience, and empowerment, EAGER adopted a comprehensive approach to learning that is described further below. The EAGER project's approach incorporates a deep understanding of how gender intertwines with complex social relations. Considering gender equality and empowerment without acknowledging relational engagement and meaning-making would neglect the primary factors shaping girls' experiences (Robeyns, 2008) . While the EAGER Endline Evaluation found Salmon-Letelier et al. 137 positive results of the intervention on girls' expanding sense of agency in their lives, as well as relationships with their husbands/partners, families, and community (Sarr et al. , 2022) , limitations were realized in understanding language and meaning-making around the girls’ own description and interpretation of changing social norms. Therefore, this current study was carried out by Sierra Leonean researchers using a feminist approach to further understand language and meaning from the perspective of the girls and caregivers. It uses data from in-depth interviews with seven Mentors and Facilitators, focus group discussions with 20 girls, and focus group discussions with 11 caregivers and partners to answer the fol

FAQs

What problem does the EAGER project address in Sierra Leone?

EAGER addresses empowering marginalized out-of-school adolescent girls through informal education, targeting educational and psychosocial needs. It responds to barriers shaped by gender inequality and social norms, including stigma linked to early marriage and teenage pregnancy.

How was the study conducted and who provided data?

The study used a feminist approach with in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Data came from seven mentors and facilitators through interviews, and focus groups with 20 girls plus focus groups with 11 caregivers and partners.

What do the findings suggest about social norms and girls’ agency?

The findings indicate that, while girls worked within existing social structures, the EAGER program increased confidence, assertiveness, and communication skills. These changes helped them contribute to their communities and gradually shift social constraints.

Oct 15, 2026

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