Attendees of this YP2LE Gender CoP webinar learned about effective strategies and tools for developing gender-inclusive mental health programs for youth in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and conflict zones.
To access the slides click here or see below.
To watch the recording click here or see below.
Understanding adolescent girls’ and boys’ unique and common mental health risks, including the impacts of harmful gender norms and the factors that can protect and enhance their mental health and wellbeing, is crucial when considering appropriate policies and interventions. The gendered influences associated with mental health problems need to be better understood, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where both evidence and interventions are scarce.
This interactive webinar aimed to bridge that gap by reviewing best practices and tools that youth-serving practitioners can use to ensure that adolescent mental health challenges and opportunities are adequately captured in programming. The webinar:
- Provided an overview of YP2LE's Integrating Mental Health and Psychosocial Support into Youth Programming: A Toolkit
- Considered the importance of gender inclusion in mental health programming and gender-based discrimination in mental health and healthcare;
- Offered examples of activities that can support adolescent girls' well-being and positive development; and
- Discussed the Friendship Bench model of sustainable, evidence-based, and community-based psychological intervention.
The following speakers joined us:
- Nicola Chehade, Senior Specialist, Mental Health and Inclusion at Making Cents International, a Washington, D.C.-based international development consulting firm that fosters human potential and promotes economic opportunity around the globe.
- Mary Munetsi, Youth Implementation Manager with Friendship Bench Zimbabwe.
About the Community of Practice
The YP2LE Learning Network brings together diverse stakeholders who seek to learn more and share about youth development. As one of six communities of practice (CoPs), the Gender CoP helps members share and benefit from collective learning. Learn more about the Gender CoP and other CoPs on YouthPower.org and register to connect with these communities.
You must be a registered member of YouthPower.org in order to participate in the discussion group. Register today!
About YouthPower 2: Learning and Evaluation (YP2LE)
YP2LE is a USAID-funded activity focused on building and disseminating evidence on Positive Youth Development (PYD). YP2LE’s goal is to give program implementers, researchers, and young changemakers the information, tools, and resources they need to develop high-quality, impactful, and sustainable youth programs.