Effectiveness of life skills training interventions for the empowerment of women in developing countries: a systematic review

This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of life skills training intervention programmes in empowering women in developing countries. Life skills training has emerged as a popular approach to empowerment, often as a part of a multicomponent intervention. Overall, the systematic review finds that life skills positively affect a range of self, social and economic empowerment outcomes. Small but significant positive changes were detected for a range of outcome areas including leadership, attitudes to gender issues, sexual and reproductive health and rights, employment and life skills themselves. There is some indication that multi-component approaches may be more effective. Life skills training can be called a promising approach with potential for supporting women's empowerment in climate and agricultural projects. Including life skills interventions within components of Green Climate Fund and International Fund for Agricultural Development project interventions can contribute to transforming women’s lives, livelihoods and societal roles.