Scale Playful Parenting in the Global South

Research, innovation, and advocacy for the scale-up of evidence-based, playful parenting programmes in the Global South

The Global Parenting Initiative (GPI) is a five-year research-within-implementation project aiming to provide access to free, evidence-based, playful parenting support to promote child learning and prevent violence at scale in the Global South.The Global Parenting Initiative has 6 core themes:1. Evaluate: Research-within-implementation studies to increase the evidence of the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and scalability of human-digital playful parenting programmes2. Innovate: Build a cohesive ecosystem of agile, adaptable, and scalable evidence-based human-digital parenting interventions, by developing and optimising playful parenting technologies3. Facilitate: Create centres of excellence in playful parenting in the Global South, and shifting expertise, leadership, and power from the Global North to South4. Advocate: Create an enabling environment for regional and country-level policymaking to support the sustained institutionalisation of playful parenting programmes5. Generate: Build a sustainable infrastructure to support scale-up and capacity building of human-digital playful parenting programmes6. Accelerate: Support the scale-up of low-cost, open-source playful parenting programmes embedded into national government and NGO service delivery systemsOur core partners include the University of Oxford, the University of Cape Town, Makerere University, Ateneo de Manila University, McMaster University, the National Institute for Medical Research Tanzania, Stellenbosch University, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Peace Culture Foundation, IDEMS, Clowns Without Borders South Africa, and Parenting for Lifelong Health. The GPI also works closely with UNICEF, the WHO, the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children, and Early Childhood Development Action Network.The GPI is funded by the LEGO Foundation, Oak Foundation, The Human Safety Net, the World Childhood Foundation, the UKRI Global Challenges Research Fund, and UNICEF.GPI@spi.ox.ac.uk

Industry Research Services

Company size 51-200 employees

Headquarters Oxford, Oxfordshire

Type Nonprofit

Founded 2022

Specialties Parenting, Research, and Evidence-based Interventions

Employees at Global Parenting Initiative

Double the celebration for the Global Parenting Initiative team! We are absolutely delighted to announce that Professor Lucie Cluver , our co-principal investigator, has been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours List! This prestigious award recognises her exceptional contributions to children’s wellbeing and global public health.We also extend our heartfelt congratulations to Professor Frances Gardner , a GPI Senior Research Investigator, who has been honoured with the Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (CMG)! The CMG is awarded for extraordinary non-military service in a foreign country or for services to foreign and Commonwealth affairs, and recognises individuals who have rendered important services in relation to Commonwealth or foreign nations.Professor Gardner's three-decade career exemplifies this, dedicated to developing, testing, and scaling up evidence-based parenting interventions globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries.Both Professor Cluver and Professor Gardner embody our mission to use science to support the world's most vulnerable children and families. Their combined leadership and dedication are pivotal in providing free, evidence-based support worldwide to prevent child sexual abuse, exploitation, and family violence.Join us in celebrating these incredible and well-deserved honours!#GlobalParentingInitiative #OBE #CMG #ChildWellbeing #PublicHealth #ParentingResearch #ProfessorLucieCluver #ProfessorFrancesGardner #Honours

On the 1st of June, we celebrated Global Parenting Day, a powerful reminder of the vital role parents and caregivers play in shaping young lives around the world. To keep the celebration going, we're excited to invite you to a special webinar next week in honour of the International Day of Play! Join us as we explore the power of play in parenting and discover how playful moments can build stronger families, support child development, and spark joy, even in the most resource-constrained settings. Date: 9 June 2025 Time: 10:00 SAST | 9:00 BST | 11:00 EAT Location: Online via Zoom Follow this link for further details and registration: https://lnkd.in/dqgVGqYt #GlobalParentingDay #Parenting #PlayMatters #ChildDevelopment #PlayfulParenting #InternationalDayOfPlay #ParentingMonth25

Exciting news! The SWIFT (Supporting Wellness through Integrated Family Training) team has officially launched its pilot study in Wolseley, a rural town in the Witzenberg region of the Western Cape, South Africa.The study is exploring an important question: Do healthcare professionals influence whether caregivers sign up for the ParentText digital parenting programme?Early signs are promising, caregivers are proactively following up with clinics to get sign-up details, and many nurses are stepping up as passionate champions of the programme. They’re not only encouraging participation but also sharing valuable feedback to help refine the study.We look forward to seeing how the pilot unfolds. All the best to the team and healthcare workers driving this important work on the ground!Stay tuned for more updates in the coming months.#DigitalHealth #ParentingSupport #SWIFTStudy #PublicHealthInnovation

️ We’re pleased to share the episode of PVradio, featuring Lauren-Jayne van Niekerk , GPI’s principal Investigator, hosted by Gustav in collaboration with the @Centre for Early Childhood Development (CECD).In this insightful conversation, Lauren and Gustav delve into the crucial role fathers play in the early years of their children’s lives, a topic that remains underexplored in early childhood development discourse.Lauren offers a unique and thoughtful perspective, making this a must-listen for anyone working in or passionate about parenting and early childhood development.Thank you to CECD and PVradio for creating space for such impactful conversations.Listen to the podcast here: https://lnkd.in/d_9tzKdD #EarlyChildhoodDevelopment #Fathers #PositiveParenting

Earlier this month, Khaing Zar Lwin , GPI’s Co-Investigator on the Parenting on the Thailand/Myanmar Border study, presented project findings at the #EE4Conference in Mae Sot.The project evaluated ‘Being Family’, a locally co-created film designed to support parenting and mental health among migrant and displaced families.Results showed a 9% drop in physical violence and stronger, more positive parenting.Well done Khaing! Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dbVzFtfR #PositiveParenting #StorytellingForImpact

A new publication reveals alarming global data on the link between child marriage and intimate partner violence (IPV). Key findings:- 1 in 3 women married as children have experienced IPV in their lifetime.- 24% reported IPV in just the past year.- Women married as children are 42% more likely to experience IPV over their lifetime than those married as adults.These risks persist even after they reach adulthood.This study underscores the urgent global need to prevent child marriage and design targeted interventions to protect survivors. Read the full study here: https://lnkd.in/dyu4SduJ Study by: Qing Han, Wenting Ye, Zuyi Fang , Stephanie Stephanie Eagling-Peche , Yuwei Wang, Bang Zheng, and Jamie Lachman .#EndChildMarriage #WomensRights #ChildProtection

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