We are committed to research and aim to foster external research efforts whenever possible. If you are interested in partnering with Tostan (or require any type of resource from us), please email info@tostan.org. Please also consult our Research Policy for guidance and more information.
2016: International Center for Research on Women & Raising Voices
Revising the Script: Taking Community Mobilization To Scale For Gender Equality
This series of case studies examines various human rights and development programs within the context of innovation, evaluation, and scaling up. Their particular focus is how community mobilization approaches are used to successfully address many socially and politically sensitive issues, especially in terms of intimate partner violence.
2016: Beniamino Cislaghi, Diane Gillespie, Gerry Mackie
Values Deliberation and Collective Action: Community Empowerment in Rural Senegal
This book describes how a program of values deliberations with discussions surrounding human rights has led to individual and collective empowerment in communities in rural Senegal. These values deliberations contribute to a larger process that results in improvements in areas such as education, health, child protection, and gender equality. The book also focuses on how participants, particularly women, enhance their individual and collective capacities to play public roles and foster community action.
2016: Akor Omachile Opaluwah
Participatory Development: A Tool of Pedagogy
Published in Exchanges: The Warwick Research Journal, this study explores the role participatory methods can be play in education initiatives designed to increase personal engagement in one’s society. Tostan is cited (pg 12) as having successfully brought a participatory program to West Africa in order to educate and create opportunity for communities, which in turn became a key factor in the movement for female genital cutting abandonment.
2016: Tostan’s Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning Team
Reinforcement of Parental Practices program infographics
Following the final evaluation of the 18-month Reinforcement of Parental Practices program, these infographics were created to compare the baseline study and end of program results in Senegalese communities. They show significant improvements in interactions between primary caregivers and infants, as well as attitude changes surrounding beliefs on parenting.
2016: Tostan’s Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning Team
Mid-Term Evaluation Infographic
These infographics represent some of the key results from the mid-term evaluation of our Community Empowerment Program, which was implemented simultaneously in 150 partner communities across four countries–Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, and Mauritania. This evaluation compares findings with the baseline study in these communities and shows the progress made and changes in attitude halfway through the program.
2016: Lauren Herzog & Wilma Z. Mui
Faith and Development in Focus: Senegal
This report from the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs and the World Faiths Development Dialogue at Georgetown University examines the influence of religion in Senegalese daily life with a particular focus on faith-inspired engagement and contributions to development. The research highlights Tostan’s work with religious leaders for the promotion of women’s empowerment and human rights.
2015: UNESCO
Narrowing the Gender Gap: Empowering Women through Literacy Programmes
This compilation of case studies from the UNESCO Effective Literacy and Numeracy Practices Database draws from examples across every region of the world to highlight successful approaches to delivering literacy skills to women and girls. These learning experiences in literacy and other basic life skills lay the groundwork for empowered women, families, and communities.
2015: Kay Young McChesney
Successful Approaches to Ending Female Genital Cutting
This study, conducted at University of Illinois Springfield and published in the Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, compares approaches to FGC abandonment. It describes “unsuccessful approaches” such as “cultural absolutism, cultural relativism, health education, feminism, human rights legislation, and psychosocial approaches” in contrast to two “successful programs”–including Tostan’s model–which are cited as “community-led, aim to change social norms in the whole community, and empower women.”
2015: Drs. Anne Fernald & Ann Weber
An evaluation of Tostan’s Reinforcement of Parental Practices (RPP) Program
The Stanford-Tostan Evaluation Project (STEP) of Stanford University evaluated our Reinforcement of Parental Practices (RPP) program, which aims to improve Early Childhood Development by working with parents, teachers, and other primary caregivers and their interactions with their babies and young children. The evaluation, complete with ilucidating infographics, shows the positive impact these parenting techniques have had on children in Senegal.
2014: Bettina Shell-Duncan, Katherine Wander, Ylva Hernlund, Amadou Moreau
Legislating Change? Responses to Criminalizing Female Genital Cutting in Senegal
This study examines the range of responses in rural Senegal where a 1999 anti-FGC law was imposed on communities in which the practice was being actively contested and targeted for elimination. The study analyzes responses in relation to two leading theories on social regulation, which make differing predictions on the relationship between social norms and legal norms. Among supporters of FGC, legal norms ran counter to social norms, and did little to deter the practice, and in some instances incited reactance or drove the practice underground. Conversely, where FGC was being contested, legislation served to strengthen the stance of those contemplating or favoring abandonment. The authors conclude that legislation can complement other reform strategies by creating an “enabling environment” that supports those who have or wish to abandon FGC.
2013: UNICEF
Case Studies on UNICEF Programming in Child Protection
These case studies illustrate how UNICEF support is helping countries to strengthen child protection systems and promote social change to align social norms and practices with child protection. The case studies provide evidence of positive results from diverse initiatives in nine countries, including Tostan’s work to end female genital-cutting in Senegal.
2013: International Center for Research on Women / Girls Not Brides
Ending Child Marriage: What Works
In this report, the ICRW looked at what works when it comes to delaying or preventing child marriage. The report cites Tostan’s Community Empowerment program as one of the leading strategies.
2013: French Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Working Group for Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Development
Adolescentes, jeunes femmes et développement (in French)
In this report, Tostan’s Community Empowerment Program was cited as best practice for promoting gender equality and the empowerment of girls. The report presents ten recommendations for the Ministry on how to better address the needs and priorities of girls and young women through development programs, listing Tostan’s approach throughout.
2010: Government of Senegal
National Action Plan for the Abandonment of FGC 2010-2015 (in French)
The government of Senegal based the National Action Plan for the Abandonment of FGC largely on our program, advocating a human rights-based approach to the goal of ending female genital cutting (FGC) in Senegal by 2015.
2009: UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre
Social Dynamics of Abandonment of Harmful Practices: A New Look at the Theory
The authors of this article take a new look at understanding the factors that perpetuate harmful social practices, such as FGC. Citing Tostan as a best practice, they discuss how these factors interact with processes of social change and are critical to understanding why and how communities abandon such practices.
2009: International Center for Research on Women
Innovation for Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality
The movement to end FGC in Senegal, and Tostan’s role in the movement, is cited as one of eight innovations that promote women’s empowerment and gender equality.
2009: Center for Global Development
Start with a Girl: A New Agenda for Public Health
Tostan is highlighted for its innovative programs in the effort to eliminate FGC.
2008: ONCHR, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNECA, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNIFEM, WHO
Eliminating Female Genital Mutilation: An Interagency Statement
Citing an evaluation of Tostan’s programs in Senegal, this report emphasizes the importance of community engagement and respect in programs that work to end FGC. They also highlighted organized diffusion as an important component for success.
2008: UNICEF
Coordinated Strategy to Abandon Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in One Generation
In this report, UNICEF explains the current state of FGC in sub-Saharan Africa and uses Tostan’s community-led organized diffusion model as an example of best practices in the field. The report encourages other organizations to adopt the Tostan approach in their work toward ending FGC.
2008: Center for Global Development
Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda
This report cites Tostan as a best practice for its work on community development and FGC abandonment, and describes why and how to initiate effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods.
2006: Population Reference Bureau
Working with the Community for Improved Health
Based on the (below) 2004 evaluation conducted by the Population Council, the authors of the article compared five community-based programs deemed effective for improving healthcare. Tostan, one of the five programs, was given the highest overall score for community participation as a result of efforts to work on health goals identified by the community.
2004: Population Council
The Tostan Program Evaluation of a Community Based Education Program in Senegal
The findings of this report state that “the impact of the Tostan program on women and men’s well-being has been substantial. The program has been able to bring about a social change within the community and to mobilize the villagers for better environmental hygiene, respect for human rights and improvement of health, as well as specifically reducing support for and practice of FGC. Extending the Tostan program to other areas of Senegal and to other African countries could make a difference to the well-being of women and of the community as a whole. “
