Research

Read Ujamaa’s academic, peer-reviewed research by the world’s leading institutions

Empowerment Transformation Training Reduces Rape Among Girls and Young Women in South Sudan and the Kakuma Refugee Camp

Published in Journal of Adolescent Health (2023)

This groundbreaking study demonstrates a dramatic decrease in the incidence of sexual assault after Ujamaa's Empowement Transformation Training (ETT) program was brought to the notorious Kakuma Refugee Camp in Northern Kenya. This study highlights the effectiveness of ETT in reducing the incidence of sexual assault in conflict countries where, due to the breakdown of the social fabric, rape is all too common.

In Their Own Words: Sexual Assault Resistance Strategies Among Kenyan Adolescent Girls Following Participation in an Empowerment Self- Defense Program

Published in Violence Against Women (2023)

This study examined resistance strategies used to thwart a sexual assault among slum-dwelling Kenyan adolescent girls (N = 678) following their participation in an empowerment self-defense program (IMpower). Associations between resistance strategies and perpetrator tactics, number of assailants, location of the assault, and the presence of a bystander were also examined.

Young People’s Experiences With an Empowerment-Based Behavior Change Intervention to Prevent Sexual Violence in Nairobi Informal Settlements: A Qualitative Study

Published in Global Health: Science and Practice (2021)

In this qualitative study, girls described how IMpower enabled them to recognize and resist sexual assault via verbal and physical strategies for self-protection,negotiate sexual consent, and exercise agency. Boys described increased ability to avoid risky behaviors and “bad” peer groups and to understand and respect consent. Girls also described how the intervention strengthened their self-confidence, and boys said that it boosted positive life values and gender-equal attitudes. Skilled facilitators and interactive and relevant content were highlighted as key to intervention success.

Safety decision-making and planning mobile app for intimate partner violence prevention and response: randomised controlled trial in Kenya

Published in BMJ Journals (2020)

Intimate partner violence (IPV) threatens women’s health and safety globally, yet services remain underdeveloped and inaccessible. Technology-based resources exist, however, few have been adapted and tested in low-resource settings. In this study, facilitated delivery of a culturally and linguistically adapted version of the myPlan app demonstrates promise in improving women’s IPV-related health and safety in a low-resource, urban setting.

Sexual Violence Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Malawi: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Implementation Trial of Empowerment Self-Defense Training

Published in BMC Public Health (2018)

This cluster-randomized controlled trial studied the effect of a standardized ESD program (IMpower) on sexual violence outcomes among primary and secondary school girls in three districts of Malawi. Results support the effectiveness of the intervention to reduce sexual violence victimization, and approach the elimination of violence against women and girls set forth with Sustainable Development Goal #5.

The Effect of Combining Business Training, Microfinance, and Support Group Participation on Economic Status and Intimate Partner Violence in an Unplanned Settlement of Nairobi, Kenya

Published in Journal of Interpersonal Violence (2018)

In a low-resource urban environment, combining formal business training with microfinance and ongoing support group involvement correlated with an increase in daily profit margin and a 67% decrease in the incidence of IPV.

Evidence that Classroom-Based Behavioral Interventions Reduce Pregnancy-Related School Dropout Among Nairobi Adolescents

Published in Health Education & Behavior (2016)

This study evaluates the effect of behavioral, empowerment-focused interventions on the incidence of pregnancy-related school dropout among girls in Nairobi’s informal settlements. Analysis reveals that pregnancy-related school dropout decreased by 46%.

A Behavior-Based Intervention That Prevents Sexual Assault: the Results of a Matched-Pairs, Cluster-Randomized Study in Nairobi, Kenya

Published in Prevention Science (2016)

This cluster-randomized, matched-pairs, parallel trial of a behavior-based sexual assault prevention intervention in informal settlements of Kenya evaluated the impact on girls experience of sexual assault.

The Impact of a Six-Week School Curriculum on Boys' Attitudes and Behaviors Related to Gender-Based Violence in Kenya

Published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence (2015)

This study evaluates boys' attitudes and behaviors towards girls and women. Evidence shows both improved significantly after receiving IMpower programming and were sustained one year later.

Rape Prevention Through Empowerment of Adolescent Girls

Published in the Pediatrics Journal (2014)

This intervention proved highly effective at preventing sexual assault. In addition to decreasing sexual assault rates among adolescent girls in Kenya, the intervention was also associated with an increase in the disclosure of assaults, thereby enabling survivors to seek care and support and possibly leading to the identification and prosecution of perpetrators. This model should be adaptable to other settings both in Africa and globally.

Male Negative Gender Norms Amongst Adolescent Boys Improved After Empowerment Transformation Training Program (ETT)

Published in the Journal of Adolescent Health (2014)

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of an educational curriculum designed to raise awareness of social norms underlying gender-based violence (GBV), on attitudes and behaviors of male high school students in urban slums of Nairobi, Kenya, where rates of GBV are high.

A Self-Defense Program Reduces the Incidence of Sexual Assault in Kenyan Adolescent Girls

Published in the Journal of Adolescent Health (2013)

A standardized six-week empowerment defense program is effective in reducing the incidence of sexual assault in slum-dwelling high school girls in Nairobi, Kenya. The intervention was able to reduce the annual incidence of sexual assault by 62.6% over a 10-month period. Over one half of girls in the intervention group had used the self-defense skills to avert sexual assault in the year after the training.