This project aims to improve gender equality in six districts in Manica and Tete provinces such that adolescent girls and young women can exercise their rights to autonomy and self-determination over their own body, as well as to sexual and reproductive health. Project activities include: (1) conducting outreach, training and small group mentoring of adolescent girls and young women to increase their confidence, knowledge, skills and civic action on sexual and reproductive health; (2) establishing community feedback and accountability mechanisms on quality of health services and progress on gender equality; (3) facilitating community dialogues for young and older men to increase their engagement and responsibility and develop action plans on sexual and reproductive health, gender violence, early marriage, and gender equality; (4) training community healthcare workers who counsel family members on the harmful effects of sexual and gender-based violence, as well as child, early and forced marriage; (5) broadcasting radio shows that address harmful and discriminatory norms about sexual and reproductive health; (6) establishing services for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, including screening and treatment of sexually transmitted infections and psychological support; (7) training and mentoring health providers and managers to offer quality, safe and legal contraceptive and abortion services; and (8) conducting outreach to provide family planning and other sexual and reproductive health services and referrals to the most remote populations.
The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased empowerment of women and girls to exercise agency in household-, community-, and policy-level sexual and reproductive health and rights decision-making; (2) decreased harmful practices and socio-cultural norms and beliefs that limit women’s and girls’ decision-making and control over their sexual and reproductive health, sexuality and bodily integrity; and (3) improved provision and utilization of rights-based, gender-sensitive, youth-friendly contraceptive, abortion and sexual and gender-based violence services.
