Voices of Hope: Adolescent Girls and Boys Contributing to Individual and Collective Change to Advance Gender Equality in UgandaThis qualitative study was designed to identify opportunities for changing norms that limit girls’ freedoms and rights. Its aim was, in particular, to uncover enabling factors and conditions that can positively contribute to improving the lives of girls in low- and middle-income countries through both individual and collective change. To this purpose, the research looked at the cases of adolescent girls and boys living in four communities in Uganda. The adolescents were selected on the basis of their participation in Plan International’s Champions of Change gender equality program. Their participation in the project was integral to the research study; it allowed for in-depth exploration of social change from the perspective of adolescents who are actively engaged in advancing gender equality in their communities. Three areas of interest emerged from the data: 1) the intersecting vulnerabilities that these girls and boys experienced; 2) their understanding and experiences of how positive change happens and how harmful gender norms are dispelled; and 3) the change makers that influence social norms, promote gender equality and act as positive enablers of change for girls.

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