Publications - Towards a Better Future: Improving Educational and Health Outcomes of Boys in Swaziland and Zambia

Towards a Better Future: Improving Educational and Health Outcomes of Boys in Swaziland and Zambia

Towards a Better Future: Improving Education and Health Outcomes of Boys in Swaziland and Zambia Across the globe, adolescent boys have a higher risk of dying prematurely than their female counterparts – in some places several times higher. In sub-Saharan Africa, the number of Disability Adjusted Years of Life (DALYs) lost for adolescent boys due to violence and suicide is twice as high as those in south Asia and ten times the amount of adolescent boys in the Middle East and north Africa. The leading causes of death for males are frequently related to their upbringing and lifestyles – the kinds of social and health behaviors adopted primarily during adolescence. While international focus has recently been placed on girls’ empowerment in the developing world, CEDPA recognizes that adolescent boys also need appropriate life-skills to successfully navigate the world around them and the important role they play in helping CEDPA achieve its overall mission. CEDPA believes working with young men and boys is not only complimentary, but essential, to the successful empowerment of young women.

In 2008, CEDPA began piloting a two year, non-formal education program based on its experience with similar programs in India, Egypt and Nigeria called “Choose a Future! Issues and Options for Adolescent Boys in Southern Africa” (CAF). This pilot program was designed to encourage boys to openly discuss gender, reproductive health, personal goals, etc. in order to help facilitate positive lifelong change in their individual lives and communities.