A research agenda to strengthen evidence generation and utilisation to accelerate the elimination of female genital mutilation

This ‘Global Research Agenda’, produced by UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO and Population Council–Kenya, outlines evidence gaps and research priorities that need to be addressed to eliminate FGM over the next five years and provides approaches to enable uptake and effective use of the evidence generated

Kenya: Helping adolescent mothers remain in school through strengthened implementation of school re-entry policies

By applying robust evidence, securing the support of decisionmakers, and engaging stakeholders, STEP UP enabled national and local decisionmakers to better understand the consequences of unintended pregnancy for adolescent girls’ schooling in Homa Bay County, Kenya. STEP UP is playing an important role in informing the implementation of policies within the Kenyan educational sector that will improve educational opportunities for school-age mothers. Through early stakeholder engagement, strong partnerships, the support of implementers and policymakers, effective communication and dissemination strategies, decisionmaker capacity, and the dedication of the adolescent mothers themselves, evidence generated by STEP UP was successfully utilized by key stakeholders. Through this work, STEP UP has seen a positive shift in the discourse among Homa Bay County stakeholders on the continued education of all girls and the development of culturally appropriate models to better address unintended pregnancy in this population