Power to Choose

Building on Oxfam’s expertise in using a rights-based approach as well as working on shifting power relations and social norms, this initiative will address acute gaps in SRHR in 7 countries in sub-Saharan Africa (DRC and Ghana), in the Middle East (Jordan, Lebanon, oPt) and in Latin America (Bolivia and Honduras).

At the heart of this initiative is the Transformative Leadership for Women’s Rights approach (TLWR), guided by Oxfam’s Ten Principles to Changing Negative Attitudes, Norms and Behaviour. The TLWR and those guiding principles will help bring a positive shift for both women and men, on attitudes and behaviours, on women’s access to resources, on informal cultural norms and exclusion practises that strengthen inequalities in daily life (norms related to GBV, participation in decisions about health, sexual health and reproduction), and in formal institutions (laws, rules, procedures, media, religious, etc.) (Oxfam, 2017).

Oxfam will also apply feminist principles and practices to campaigning (including digital and public campaigns), policy, and advocacy, with an emphasis on transforming unequal gender and power relations. More than 50,000 YW&AG (young women and adolescent girls) living in vulnerable conditions and experiencing marginalization will benefit from this initiative.

This project aims to improve access to sexual and reproductive health care for vulnerable and marginalized adolescent girls and young women in Bolivia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ghana, Honduras, Jordan, Lebanon, and the occupied Palestinian territory. Project activities include: (1) educating and working with adolescent girls and young women on topics related to their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR); (2) educating and working with adolescent boys and young men on issues such as gender equality, SRHR, and cultural practices related to masculinity, gender, and sexuality; (3) training health care workers to provide inclusive and accessible sexual and reproductive health services and practices, particularly to adolescent girls and young women; (4) providing better equipment to health facilities across the project countries, in order to improve their capacity to offer comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services; and (5) working with civil society organizations and rights’ groups to advocate for better SRHR related policy.

This project is being implemented in partnership with the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC), and RNW Media, as well as numerous local women’s rights groups and youth organizations across the project countries.