This three-year project aims to raise awareness and enhance protection of children and adolescents (10-17 years old) in the MENA region from gender based violence (early marriage, FGM and sexual abuse) through promoting their right to Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) in three target countries: Lebanon, oPt and Yemen.
Background
International agreements affirm that adolescents have a right to age-appropriate sexual and reproductive health information, education, and services that enable them to deal positively and responsibly with their sexuality. Currently, these agreements are not fully implemented in three target countries and where there is considerable lack of access to SRH information.
As a preparatory activity to the project, comprehensive Baseline KAP (Knowledge, Attitudes and Pratices) surveys were carried out in Lebanon, oPt and Yemen by October 2010. Children, adolescents, parents and service providers were interviewed. The findings have provided the necessary information on highlighting the issues concerning SRH that needs to be addressed in the MENA region.
The surveys focused on:
- Knowledge about SRH
- Related risks and protective behaviors
- Utilization of protective mechanisms
Attention must be drawn towards strengthening the children’s knowledge on SRH in the target countries.The results of the three surveys will help in the following areas:
- Development and adaption of information and education materials as well as capacity building programs addressing children, adolescents, parents and service providers, based on country specific needs
- Using the collected evidence to develop advocacy plans of civil society organizations, Save The Children Sweden and partners for national and regional advocacy.
- Measuring the impact of the project by the end of the action through the establishment of a baseline of the specific indicators.
Scope
This project will be implemented in 31 different impact areas in the three target countries and directly benefit 50,000 youths aged 10 to 17-years-old and indirectly reaching out to over 150,000 youths through its actions.
Partners
Lebanon: KAFA (enough) Violence and Exploitation
oPt: Juzoor Foundation for Health and Social Development
Yemen: CRB (Community Based Rehabilitation Association for Children with Special Needs) and Yemeni Women's Union
Activities
The project intends to build the capacity of key civil society organizations working in the field of child protection promoting SRH rights and providing services to children, adolescents and their caregivers.
Save The Children is continuously supporting the implementing partners during the project action. This is done in order to strengthen our partners approach to child protection to ensure a right based and child/adolescents friendly approach to SRH Rights and to help improving their skills in implementing effective, evidence based advocacy addressing governmental authorities for policy change. Advocacy plans will be developed by the implementing partners and involved community based SRH providers, supported by key regional actors such as the Arab Council for Childhood Development (ACCD) to advocate national and local authorities. We are hereby aiming at policy change and institutionalization of adolescent adequate information and services on SRH.
Formal and non-formal educative structures, primary health clinics and community based structures are targeted, supported and mentored by the implementing partners of Save The Children. Working through these community based service providers ensures that children, adolescents and their caregivers is reached and allows to bring a change to the traditional approach to SRH developing a comprehensive and coordinated SRH protection system.
Watch "Walaw" ("No Way / What if"), a film to raise awareness about sexual abuse in Lebanon:
Within the project parents have also been targeted in training sessions, as they are the main source of information for adolsecents regarding sexual and reproductive health. One of the Mothers Group in Arrub refugee camp in the oPt, expressed their thanks in the letter below for the support the project has provided them:
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