Support to Innovations in Health Rights and Development (IHeard) - Malawi

This project aims to help adolescent girls and young women between the ages of 10 and 25 access better sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care in Malawi. Project activities include: (1) running a mass-media campaign at the national level to raise awareness and support for more inclusive sexual and reproductive health and rights-related policies and services for adolescent girls and boys and young women and men; (2) providing training and coaching to health care providers in facilities across Malawi about providing gender-sensitive and adolescent-friendly SRH services; (3) providing training and coaching to teachers and educators-in-training about providing comprehensive sexual education to young Malawians; and (4) organizing and supporting over 800 advocacy and peer groups of adolescent girls and boys and young women and men. This project expects to benefit 300 000 adolescent girls and young women and adolescent boys and young men between the ages of 10 and 25. This project works in partnership with Farm Radio International Marie Stopes International Viamo Girl Effect Women and Children First and Malawian partners including the Farm Radio Trust the Forum of African Women Educationalists Malawi Banja la Mtsogolo (BLM) MaiKhanda and numerous local women’s and girls’ groups.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) Increased uptake of gender-transformative age-appropriate SRHR behaviours and practices including demand for SRHR services by diverse groups of AGYW; (2) Improved provision of gender-responsive inclusive and accountable SRHR services by health-care providers (HCP) for diverse groups of AGYW; (3) Improved effectiveness of key stakeholders including AGYW and ABYM and women’s and girls’ rights organizations to advocate for evidence-based accountable gender-responsive SRHR policies and services.