Introduction
Community and traditional leaders play a pivotal role within Ugandan, Malawian and Ethiopian society. According to Afrobarometer survey findings, Ethiopians trust their traditional leaders more than state institutions and elected officials and they would like to see this influence increase. In Uganda, Afrobarometer findings show a similar pattern of increased trust in traditional leader compared to other officials. While other research shows that in Malawi, traditional leaders play an important role in mobilising community resources for public initiatives but that this influence is weakened due to limited integration within government structures.
While community and traditional leaders do not play a formal role in education, they continue to play a gate keeping role within some communities when it comes to how information is perceived, received and implemented. Within YPAR findings, 53.5% of surveyed participants in Malawi cited that cultural norms strongly shape how sexuality education is perceived and delivered within communities. Therefore, engaging with them is essential to ensure holistic access to communities. Importantly, culture and religion are often intertwined so religious and community leaders may find benefit from engaging with resources across both stakeholder guides.
