EmpowerHer in Nigeria

This project aims to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) through access to water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services for women and adolescents in Bauchi State Nigeria. Project activities include: (1) developing behavior change intervention packages for in-school and out-of-school adolescents; (2) improving WASH facilities in schools and health facilities; (3) training teachers and establishing health clubs to support menstrual hygiene management and life skills training for adolescents; (4) building capacity of healthcare workers to deliver quality sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and WASH services; (5) strengthening sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) referral systems; and (6) improving the enabling policy environment by advocating for stronger WASH and sexual and reproductive health and rights policies. The project seeks to reach 108 161 direct beneficiaries (20 717 adolescent girls and 71 907 women of reproductive age 15 to 49 years and 15 537 adolescent boys) through 69 schools and 58 health facilities 600 000 indirect beneficiaries in over 1 036 communities.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) improved agency of adolescents to access gender-responsive and climate-resilient WASH and menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) services for in-school and out-of-school girls and boys; (2) strengthened gender-responsive and climate-resilient WASH services at schools and sexual reproductive health integration at healthcare facilities for women and girls; and (3) improved governance to ensure provision of evidence-based accountable gender-responsive and inclusive WASH MHH and SRH services at local state and national levels.