The project aims to improve Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) for adolescent girls in the Amazon province of Loreto, Peru, which has the highest rate of adolescent pregnancy in the country (31% in 2016). By empowering girls and working with boys and communities, the project helps prevent sexual violence and unwanted pregnancies in one of the poorest regions of Peru. Project activities include: (1) training, workshops and coaching activities with adolescents and youth in coordination with schools, community leaders and families; (2) development and distribution of information on adolescents’ SRHR as part of a comprehensive communication strategy; (3) training of health workers and creation of specialised health facilities to improve sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents; (4) training of teachers, tutors and local Ministry of Education staff on comprehensive sexual education for adolescents, including the prevention of violence; and (5) training of youth leaders and networks to increase their capacity to participate in municipal, regional and national decision-making spaces. Project activities are intended to reach 78,000 direct beneficiaries, many of whom are from indigenous communities.
The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved agency of adolescent girls over their own Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), including utilization of SRH services to prevent early pregnancy; (2) improved delivery of gender-responsive and adolescent-friendly SRH services and Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) to adolescent girls and boys; and (3) enhanced district and regional institutional responsiveness to the SRHR of adolescents, with a particular focus on girls.
