Problem Analysis: South Asia has the largest generation of adolescents in history. A people’s centred development approach therefore cannot ignore the needs and aspirations of this large cohort. However this cohort is not a healthy cohort because: •
This cohort is also a disempowered cohort because: •
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54% of young adults drop out at middle school and 67% in high school
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Every fourth female sex worker is 20-24 years of age
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Every fourth rape victim is 15-19 years of age.
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Neo natal mortality is very high in mothers less than 20 years of age
Strategic Direction: Given the above scenario, SARO will endeavour to improve the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents aged 10-19 years, by strengthening partnerships between MAs and educational institutions and/or youth organisations to develop and implement gender sensitive approaches relating to the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents in South Asia.
Goal: All adolescents are empowered to make informed choices regarding their sexual and reproductive health.
Objectives
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To increase access to a broad range of
youth friendly services in 4 countries South Asia
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To strengthen commitment to and support for the sexual and
reproductive rights of young people in these four countries
Activities to achieve objective 1
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To increase access to a broad range of rights based and
youth friendly services
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Support member associations to conduct surveys, FGDs in 16 educational institutions/
youth organisations in 4 countries of South Asia to identify concerns of adolescent boys and girls re their sexuality, where appropriate using secondary data
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Develop capacity building tools and materials that can engage communities especially parents, teachers and medical service providers in revisiting the
gender construction of sexuality to respond to the needs of adolescents
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Orchestrate capacity building experiences – workshops, dialogues/debates, study visits for adolescents, parents, teachers, service providers to strengthen existing services and make them more adolescent friendly and increase coverage.
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Provide technical assistance to member associations and their partners in educational institutions/
youth organisations to set up at least 8 model adolescent friendly service delivery points in South Asia
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Support MAs to monitor the impact and use of these service delivery points by developing a sound
monitoring and evaluation system to assess “adolescent friendliness.”
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Support MAs in documenting the lessons learnt
Activities to achieve Objective 2
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To strengthen commitment to and support for the sexual and
reproductive rights of young people
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Provide technical assistance to member associations to draft MOUs to strengthen partnerships between MAs, educational institutions and government health facilities that provide
SRH services in order to create the critical mass for change.
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Assist MAs to organize dialogues and roundtables to disseminate the lessons learnt among programme implementers of large national programmes being implemented by the ministries of
youth in the four participating countries to expand the critical mass and make the effort sustainable.
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Mobilise human and financial resources to set up
gender sensitive and adolescent friendly SRH services in the service delivery points (SDPs) of MAs, educational institutions and government programmes
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Provide technical assistance for the development of
youth friendly policies in the constitutions of MAs and decision making bodies of their partners.
Outcomes and Indicators:
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Outcomes |
Indicators |
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- Communities (parents, teachers, adolescents, service providers) engaged in redefining the gender construction of sexuality.
- Strengthened partnerships between MA and educational institutions/youth organisations in running adolescent friendlt SRHR services.
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- Revised/modified school curriculum's in atleast 10-12 schools in the region.
- Redefinition of the gender construction of sexuality by influencers in the community, in schools and in national programmes indicated through narrative/qualitative reports of KABP surveys and FGDs.
- Atleast 20% of the staff/volunteers of MAs in these 4 countries under 20 years of age.
- Atleast 2 programme documents developed as a result if joint programming efforts between MA and educational institutions/youth organisations submitted to in-country donors for funding - additional resources generated.
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