Increasing Access to Safe Abortion and Contraception in Central America and Africa

This project aims to improve comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for women and adolescent girls in El Salvador Guatemala Nicaragua Nigeria and Zambia. The project also seeks to strengthen social and political support for and improve access to high quality safe and legal abortion and contraceptive services for women and adolescent girls. Project activities include: (1) providing training and support for journalists to promote balanced media coverage and reporting on SRHR; (2) providing training for law enforcement agents to increase their understanding and promote attitude transformation regarding SRHR unsafe abortion and abortion laws; (3) partnering with civil society to conduct community-based trainings on SRHR with key groups including faith leaders women's groups and youth groups; and (4) providing support and supplies to health facilities to increase the availability of comprehensive safe and legal abortion and contraceptive services.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved enabling environment for women and adolescent girls to uphold their sexual and reproductive health and rights particularly in regard to safe and legal abortion contraception and care for survivors of sexual violence; and (2) enhanced access to high quality legal abortion and contraceptive services that respond to gender-specific constraints on rights.