CFPs: Transforming Gender Norms and Accelerating FGM Abandonment (Gambia)

Deadline: 14-Jun-2026

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is inviting national Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in The Gambia to support an adolescent empowerment programme aimed at transforming harmful gender norms and accelerating the abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The initiative uses social and behaviour change approaches to strengthen adolescent leadership, promote gender equality, and support the protection and wellbeing of girls and boys.

The programme seeks to create safe and supportive environments where adolescents can build life skills, develop positive identities, engage in community dialogue, and contribute to ending harmful practices while promoting girls’ rights and gender-equitable attitudes.

About the Programme

FGM remains one of the most prevalent forms of gender-based violence affecting women and girls in The Gambia.

Despite ongoing efforts to eliminate the practice, progress has been slow due to deeply rooted social norms and community expectations. To address these challenges, UNICEF and the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare developed a Social and Behavior Change (SBC) Strategy designed to influence attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours related to FGM and other harmful practices.

The programme focuses on empowering adolescents as agents of change while engaging families, caregivers, and communities in conversations that promote gender equality and child protection.

Programme Objectives

The initiative aims to:

• Accelerate the abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
• Promote gender equality and women’s empowerment
• Strengthen adolescent leadership and participation
• Improve child protection outcomes
• Prevent gender-based violence
• Support positive identity development among adolescents
• Build life skills and confidence
• Promote gender-equitable attitudes and behaviours
• Strengthen community engagement and dialogue
• Support social and behaviour change at community level

The programme places adolescents at the center of efforts to challenge harmful norms and promote positive social change.

Key Focus Areas

The programme focuses on:

• Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) prevention
• Gender equality
• Women’s empowerment
• Adolescent empowerment
• Youth leadership
• Child protection
• Gender-based violence prevention
• Life skills education
• Positive identity formation
• Social and behaviour change
• Community engagement
• Caregiver participation
• Digital engagement
• Harmful practices prevention

These focus areas contribute to creating safer and more supportive environments for adolescents.

Why Addressing FGM Matters

Female Genital Mutilation is a harmful practice that can have lifelong consequences for girls and women.

Potential impacts include:

• Physical health complications
• Psychological trauma
• Increased vulnerability to gender-based violence
• Violations of human rights
• Reduced wellbeing and opportunities
• Harmful effects on girls’ development and protection

Addressing FGM requires long-term efforts that engage communities, families, adolescents, and local leaders in transforming social norms.

Establishment of Adolescent-Friendly Safe Spaces

A central component of the programme is the creation of adolescent-friendly safe spaces across:

• Central River Region
• Lower River Region
• Upper River Region

These spaces will provide structured opportunities for adolescents to learn, interact, and develop skills in supportive and age-appropriate environments.

The programme aims to establish:

• 35 adolescent safe spaces
• 70 adolescent groups

These platforms will encourage participation, learning, and peer engagement.

Adolescent Empowerment Activities

The programme will provide opportunities for adolescents to:

• Build self-confidence
• Develop leadership skills
• Strengthen life skills
• Improve wellbeing
• Explore future aspirations
• Develop positive identities
• Engage in peer learning
• Participate in discussions on social issues

Conversations around FGM and other harmful practices will be introduced gradually within broader discussions on personal growth, rights, and wellbeing.

Youth Leadership and Peer Champions

The initiative seeks to engage:

• 3,000 adolescent peer champions

Peer champions will play an important role in:

• Promoting positive behaviours
• Encouraging youth participation
• Supporting peer learning
• Facilitating dialogue
• Challenging harmful social norms
• Promoting gender equality

Youth-led approaches help strengthen ownership and sustainability of social change efforts.

Community and Caregiver Engagement

The programme recognizes that sustainable change requires support from families and communities.

Activities will include:

• Community dialogues
• Caregiver engagement sessions
• Discussions on gender norms
• Awareness-raising activities
• Stakeholder consultations
• Community mobilization initiatives

These efforts aim to strengthen support systems that protect adolescents and promote positive social norms.

Facilitator Training and Capacity Building

To support programme implementation, the initiative will train:

• 100 facilitators

Facilitators will help:

• Deliver life skills sessions
• Guide adolescent group discussions
• Support community engagement activities
• Facilitate safe space activities
• Promote positive youth development

Well-trained facilitators are essential for delivering high-quality and effective programming.

Digital Engagement and Learning

The programme incorporates digital participation mechanisms to strengthen adolescent engagement.

Activities include:

• Moderated WhatsApp groups
• Digital learning opportunities
• Online discussions
• Information sharing
• Peer interaction platforms

Digital tools will help extend learning opportunities and maintain engagement beyond physical activities.

Responsibilities of Selected Organizations

Selected CSOs and NGOs will be responsible for:

• Mapping adolescent spaces and youth structures
• Establishing and supporting safe spaces
• Recruiting and training facilitators
• Delivering life skills programming
• Supporting adolescent groups
• Facilitating community engagement activities
• Moderating digital platforms
• Conducting stakeholder outreach
• Collecting monitoring and evaluation data
• Supporting implementation of the national SBC FGM Strategy

Organizations will play a critical role in ensuring effective delivery and impact.

Expected Results

By December 2026, the programme aims to achieve:

• Improved life skills among adolescents
• Stronger positive identity development
• Increased adolescent participation
• Greater adoption of gender-equitable attitudes
• Enhanced youth leadership
• Stronger community support for girls’ rights
• Increased rejection of harmful practices
• Progress toward the abandonment of FGM
• More supportive environments for adolescents

These outcomes are expected to contribute to lasting social and behavioural change.

Sustainability and Long-Term Impact

The programme promotes sustainable community transformation through:

• Youth leadership development
• Community ownership
• Caregiver involvement
• Strengthened local structures
• Capacity building of facilitators
• Ongoing social and behaviour change efforts
• Digital engagement mechanisms

These approaches help ensure that positive changes continue beyond the programme period.

Why This Initiative Matters

Ending FGM requires more than awareness campaigns—it requires transforming the social norms that influence decisions within families and communities.

This initiative contributes to:

• Protection of girls’ rights
• Prevention of gender-based violence
• Adolescent empowerment
• Gender equality
• Community-led social change
• Youth participation in decision-making
• Improved wellbeing and resilience
• Stronger child protection systems

By empowering adolescents and engaging communities, the programme supports a future where girls can live free from harmful practices and enjoy equal opportunities to thrive.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Who is leading this programme?
  The initiative is led by UNICEF in partnership with the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare.
• What is the main goal of the programme?
  To accelerate the abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) through adolescent empowerment and social and behaviour change approaches.
• Where will the programme be implemented?
  In the Central River, Lower River, and Upper River regions of The Gambia.
• How many adolescents will be engaged as peer champions?
  The programme aims to engage 3,000 adolescent peer champions.
• How many safe spaces will be established?
  A total of 35 adolescent-friendly safe spaces will be created.
• What role will selected organizations play?
  They will establish safe spaces, train facilitators, support adolescent groups, conduct community engagement activities, moderate digital platforms, and collect monitoring data.
• What results are expected by December 2026?
  Improved life skills, stronger positive identity development, increased gender-equitable attitudes, enhanced youth leadership, and greater support for the abandonment of FGM.

Conclusion

The UNICEF Adolescent Empowerment Programme in The Gambia represents a comprehensive effort to address Female Genital Mutilation through youth leadership, community engagement, and social and behaviour change strategies. By establishing safe spaces, empowering adolescents, engaging caregivers and community leaders, and promoting gender-equitable attitudes, the initiative seeks to create lasting change that protects girls’ rights and accelerates the abandonment of harmful practices across targeted communities.

For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.