'Safe spaces for adolescent girls': a critical review of NGO work aiming to prevent violence against girls

Mary Cobbett-Ondiek

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

With violence against girls firmly established as a development problem, a new wave of NGO projects has been established focusing on preventing violence through the establishment of ‘safe spaces’ for adolescent girls. Such programmes are expected to empower girls and prevent violence as a result of the implicit safety and social relations inherent in these spaces as well as the education and activities that take place inside the spaces. Neither violence against girls nor NGO responses to it have been a focus of attention amongst geographers. Yet, given the clear socio-spatial assumptions inherent in this work, geographers are well placed to analyse the potential and pitfalls of these projects. This paper, therefore, will conceptually review NGO work on preventing violence against girls in the light of geographical (and other social science scholarship).
Original languageEnglish
JournalGeography Compass
Publication statusIn preparation - 2016

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