Agency is a fundamental concept in Social and Behavior Change (SBC) programming, as it lies at the heart of decision-making and empowerment processes. However, significant gaps remain in how agency is conceptualized, measured, and understood, particularly in terms of its impact on health and well-being. These gaps hinder our ability to compare agency across different contexts and to draw lessons that can enhance empowerment-focused SBC interventions. Current measures of agency often oversimplify the concept by focusing solely on decision-making, without recognizing its broader and more complex dimensions. Furthermore, these measures are typically developed without direct input from the individuals they aim to support, making them less relevant or effective in capturing the lived experiences of the target populations.

To address these gaps, Agency for All consortium partners – EVIHDAF in Cameroon, Makerere University in Uganda, and Sambodhi Research & Communications Pvt. Ltd. in India—are collaborating to develop culturally relevant, reliable, and valid measures of agency. This initiative, running from 2023 to 2025, aims to fill the global gap in high-quality, cross-cultural agency measures while strengthening the capacity of local partners to engage in the development and application of these tools.

Over the first year of Agency for All activities, several actions have been undertaken to lay the groundwork for this study, deepening our understanding of agency and its measurement across different contexts. These activities have also helped define the priorities and shape the concept note for the study, ensuring that the research is grounded in local realities and addresses the specific needs of the populations involved.