The Centre for Social Sciences Research (CSSR) and the  Institute for Democracy, Citizenship and Public Policy in Africa  (IDCPPA) at the University of Cape Town invite you to join us for a lunchtime seminar on 1 September at 12:45pm. The seminar will be presented by Mandy Phuti & Vuyolwetu Tibini.

About the Seminar:

Safe Spaces Interventions for Adolescent Girls in Africa: A Scoping Review of Child Marriage, Adolescent Pregnancy and Educational Outcomes

Safe Spaces interventions are widely used across Africa to support the health, well-being and empowerment of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). These interventions typically involve regular, mentor-led group meetings in designated spaces, but vary considerably in their design, delivery and intended outcomes. This scoping review characterised the evidence on Safe Spaces interventions targeting AGYW aged 10–24 years in Africa, focusing on child marriage, adolescent pregnancy and school enrolment.

We identified 38 intervention studies reported across 51 publications, covering 19 African countries. Interventions were predominantly multi-component, with common components including life skills and financial literacy training, enabling environment activities, financial support and economic empowerment. Almost half of the studies evaluated three or more intervention arms, highlighting the complexity and diversity of Safe Spaces approaches. Most studies focused on girls aged 15–19 years, while age-disaggregated findings were rarely reported.

 The review highlights a substantial but highly heterogeneous evidence base. Differences in intervention design, delivery and outcome measurement make it difficult to compare findings across studies and assess the applicability of Safe Spaces approaches across different contexts. Improving consistency in research design and reporting, alongside greater geographical coverage and more age-disaggregated evidence, could strengthen understanding of when, how and for whom Safe Spaces interventions are effective

Speakers

Mandy Phuti is a Research Analyst and Junior Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Science Research, University of Cape Town. Her work focuses on adolescent health and well-being, climate change, environmental health, and sexual and reproductive health in low- and middle income countries. She has experience in evidence synthesis, quantitative research, and academic writing. Mandy holds a Master of Public Health specialising in Environmental Health and a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Science and Health.

Vuyolwetu Tibini is a health economist researcher with a BA in Theology from Helderberg College. His public health research interests include health economic evaluations, health technology assessment, adolescent health research, and determinants of health seeking behaviours. He is committed to advocacy for vulnerable and minority groups, with his work in assisting local adolescent organization in Khayelitsha and Langa.

  01 September 2026
  12:45 - 14:00 SAST
  CSSR Seminar Room, 4.29, Robert Leslie Social Sciences Building, UCT

Hosted by the Centre for Social Science Research and the Institute for Democracy, Citizenship and Public Policy in Africa