Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in South Africa - Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic the project is providing additional funds to protect women and girls’ sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and help respond effectively to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). The project addresses discriminatory social norms that perpetuate sexual and gender-based violence and prevent women and girls to realize their SRHR in some of the most marginalized districts of South Africa. It works with communities including men and boys and adolescent girls and young women aged 15-24 parents as well as youth and women networks to promote women and girls’ human rights SRHR and in preventing SGBV. The project also strives to foster multi-sectoral collaboration across institutions (health social services justice police education) to strengthen institutional capacity and evidence-based decision-making to increase the availability of quality SRHR and SGBV services (information counselling and prevention) that respond to the needs of women and girls free from bias and discrimination. Project activities include: (1) providing training to health workers (doctors nurses managers and community health workers) in the targeted districts’ health facilities on proven integrated delivery models of SHRH SGBV and HIV services that respond to the needs of women and young girls and are free of bias and discrimination; (2) providing training to social service professionals and community health workers on integrated SGBV case management including referral pathways and field testing and documentation of results in selected locations in the targeted districts; (3) improving data systems and enhancing disaggregation of data (by sex age disability ethnicity etc.) to better target SRHR policy and programming; and (4) providing training to community networks that engage with men boys parents and caregivers and young girls to run advocacy campaigns with government to invest in quality SRHR services free fro

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) increased availability and use of quality sexual and reproductive health and rights HIV and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) prevention and response services free of bias and discrimination for/by the most vulnerable and marginalized AGYW in Nelson Mandela Alfred Nzo and Uthukela districts in South Africa; and (2) decreased discriminatory and harmful practices and attitudes that perpetuate and validate sexual and gender-based violence and act as barriers to SRHR within targeted households and communities in Nelson Mandela Alfred Nzo and Uthukela districts in South Africa.