Community Engagement for Promotion of Reproductive Health Rights (RHR) of Youth and Improve their Access to Reproductive Health (RH) Services under Sihat Mand Khaandaan Project

Adolescents and young adults (15 – 29 yrs.)go through crucial physical, mental, emotional, and social transitions. Addressing their issues and needs during this age, through knowledge and skills, is critical in helping them make use of the opportunities and face the challenges they will experience in adult life. 

Pakistan’s youth constitute68% of the whole population.  Studies show that most young and adolescents ( 14 -24yrs.) reside in rural areas; school dropouts’ rate is 40% (10 – 14yrs.) and 30.14% (15 – 19yrs); child labor is 31.6% (9 – 13yrs.);and child marriagesamong females is 22% and  27% in male in Pakistan[1].

Community Engagement for Promotion of Reproductive Health Rights (RHR) of Youth and Improve their Access to Reproductive Health (RH) Services under Sihat Mand Khaandaan Project is a UNFPA funded six months project implemented by the Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN). It is being implemented in two districts of Pakistan’s Sindh Province – Matiari and Kambar Shahdadkot. RSPN implements it through the National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) in Matiari, and Sindh Rural Support Organisation (SRSO) in Kambar Shahdadkot. The overall objective is to contribute in UNFPA’s effort to Support policy initiatives and advocacy for increased investment in marginalized young people, including access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR).

By engaging RSP’s community institutions (LSOs/VOs), RSPN through NRSP and SRSO,will achieve the objective by creating an enabling environment at the Community level for promotion of reproductive rights and health of youth, and ensuring youth are better informed about their reproductive health rights and have improved access to reproductive health services.

The project entails the following key activities and targets;

The project entails the following key activities and targets;

Engagement of 175 LSO members

Engagement of community institutions (LSOs/VOs) through dialogues, orientation and monthly meetings to create awareness on RHR issues and rights of youth, and seek community support.

Selection of 332 Youth Champions

Identified and selected through VO dialogues, these 332 Youth champions (50% girls) will be trained on RHR toolkit and further conduct awareness sessions with registered adolescents of their assigned population.

• Government of Pakistan, Pakistan Labor Force Survey 2017-18, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
• Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement Survey 2013-14, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Islamabad, 2014
• Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement Survey 2013-14, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Islamabad, 2014.
• Pakistan DHS 2017 – 2018

Integration of 332 Youth in LSO/VOs as Youth Sub committees	332 Youth champions will be integrated in LSOs/VOs as Youth sub committees; they will regularly participate in routine meetings of VOs and LSOs and share RH issues being faced by youth and seek support of VO and LSO members to address these issues.
Development RHR toolkit and IEC Material	Adapt and develop toolkit on RHR for youth champions to conduct awareness sessions with registered adolescents of their assigned population.
10 Adolescent and youth-friendly spaces (AYFS)	10 AYSF ( 1/UC) will be established and used to promote RHR by engaging community youth and adolescents, and parents, and also organize health camps for delivery of RH services for adolescents/youth.
Reproductive Health and Rights sessions for Adolescent/Youths (Boys and Girls)	332 Youth Champions will conduct awareness sessions on RHR toolkit with 25,232 Adolescents/Youth (50% girls). During these sessions, Youth Champions will also provide information about Youth Friendly Centers and will invite them to participate in events to be organized at those centers.
District and provincial level advocacy dialogues	Dialogues will be held at the district and provincial level with concerned government stakeholders for policy recommendations where youth will share issues being faced by them and their peers in the community for accessing RH services, and also discuss how community leaders are tacking actions to address them in rural areas.