Reproductive Health Uganda Project #45857

Improving reproductive health rights in Uganda

by Share Child Opportunity Eastern and Northen Uganda (SCOEN)

Project Report | Jan 29, 2024
Gender Equality and Empowerment

By Joyce Arono | Project Leader

We must endlessly make noise against all of the oppressive power structures women are faced with. Weneed to strongly call out the government and dismantle patriarchal systems for limiting women and withequivalent energy support women in agriculture and food production - Project Officer

Since early 2021, SCOEN has worked to improve reproductive Health Rights among girls and young women (GYW) . The youth-driven project is creating space for GYW to meaningfully participate in local, district, and national decision-making processes. Toooften, girls are left out of the conversation due to ingrained age-based and gender-based discrimination—this leads topolicies and laws that band-aid systemic challenges and barriers GYW face, sometimes even exacerbating them. Without a seat at the table, girls’ voices—in all of their diversity—are not heard. Thanks to our supporters, GYW are being given a platform to speak up for what they need to thrive and contribute to positive, gender-sensitive change.

We have conducteda training of Young Women and Girls, a capacity-strengthening session aimed at growing the advocacy and lobbying potential of young leaders.

GYW discussed the gaps in theimplementation of existing laws and noted that theory does not protect against food insecurity, especially for vulnerable women and girls living in resource-scarce communities. Collectively, they recognized and agreed that most people do not have a basic understanding of laws and policies, and therefore cannot use them to their benefit.

“ If women still don’t have power over their bodies and reproductive rights, then hurdles to nutrition for themis higher to jump over and they will continue to give birth to a large family and fail in feeding them. Also,since their husbands [male partners] still assume power over their bodies, he will dictate how she feeds andnourishes herself, which is limiting to her holistic well-being.”

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Sep 26, 2023
Realising sexual and reproductive health rights

By Lucas Akol | Team Leader

T sexual and reproductive health and rights of adolescent girls and young women living in rural areas and slums in Uganda.

Every woman is entitled to good sexual and reproductive health. This involves being free from sexually transmitted infections, gender-based violence and maternal mortality, and able to access essential health services. In low and middle-income countries like Uganda, adolescents comprise a fifth of the population, yet their sexual and reproductive health needs are often overlooked.

Adolescent girls and young women are more likely to experience gender-based violence, sexually transmitted infections and poor access to sexual and reproductive health services. Those living in rural and slum areas have even worse outcomes, but little evidence exists regarding the opportunities and barriers to improving sexual and reproductive health among adolescent girls and young women in a slum setting.

We conducted focus groups and interviews with 21 adolescent girls and young women living in two Ugandan slums, 10 individuals with an essential role, for example, at state level, as well as 30 other stakeholders including healthcare workers, teachers, parents, district leaders and community support officers working with adolescent girls and young women.

Results indicate that adolescent girls and young women lack information regarding their sexual health, what services are available and who and where to go if they experience violations such as sexual assault. In instances of sexual assault, fear and stigma prevented adolescent girls and young women from going to the police, and instead disputes were handled informally between families.

Participants in our focus groups and interviews felt that education and training were needed, and that health services need to improve. Interventions are necessary to improve adolescent girls’ and young women’s sexual and reproductive health in this setting.

Adolescent girls and young women continue to face obstacles in achieving their full sexual and reproductive health and rights. Targeted interventions for the realisation of adolescent girls’ and young women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights can address underlying causes and positively shift attitudes to promote health.

We therefore seek for genorous people like to support our activities, funding is needed which is currently limited. We appeal for your support. Donate today to see the adolescent girls and young women access the right information.

Thank you

SCOEN Team

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May 29, 2023
Experience of and barriers to healthcare

By Grace | Project Leader

On our journey to enhance awareness of reproductive health rights, services to adolescent girls & young women, nearly all participants stated that local healthcare services lacked resources and medications. Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) were therefore asked to pay for healthcare: from fee-for-service clinics to essential medications. For many, the financial burden was too high. Combined with fear and stigma, some participants stated that AGYW often resort to using unregulated and traditional medicine.

Paprticipant Stories

“…when I reach the pharmacy where am to buy the drugs from, the drugs are 30,000ugx and I only have 10,000ugx in my bag, so I find that medication too expensive. In that case, I will just go and pluck some few wild plants and I drink because it is the cheaper option that will help me.” said one parciitpant.

“They fear if they get a problem may be they want to abort, they can use these herbs and someone calls you and says this one is here dying, they say she has taken herbs.” Communi Outreache Officer .

Stories of poor healthcare and stigma associated with sexual health issues were common reasons for AGYW not to utilize services. Many AGYW felt they were treated differently because they were young and poor, and those in duty-bearer positions did not listen to their needs. For AGYW accessing healthcare, perceived lack of respect caused them to shy away from further healthcare. Some AGYW recalled positive healthcare experiences.

“I was given a lot of care where I gave birth from even when I hadn’t paid money but that was in the [name omitted] government hospital.” - Said a partcipant

Violations of rights

Most participants specified that money and poverty played a significant role in the violation of AGYW’s rights. Participants recalled stories of desperate family members for whom money was a driver for them facilitating their daughters to engage in underage sex and child marriage. However, parents’ actions were not always described as seeking monetary gain. A local leader noted that parents forced their children to marry because it mirrored their own experience.

“…our problem is with the parents who force their children to get married fast mainly because the parents too got married early.” by a participant.

AGYW also described experiences where perpetrators with money were treated differently, and a perpetrator’s word was considered more credible than the word of assaulted AGYW. Other AGWY described experiences of attempted corruption of their rights for money.

“My uncle came home and he was kind of forcing me to accept money from him which was 500,000shs and placed it on the table asking me to get the money and testify in court saying I wanted what happened to me.” Said a particpant.

You can help SCOEN to consolidate reproductive health knowledge among rural communities targeting adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) to support demystification of Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) myths, misconceptions, increase awareness of SRHR.

Your support is key in solving this problem.Would you consider donating one-time gift of $100 or Monthly gift of $25 to help us to increase awareness of SRHR targeting AGYWs?

Your donation will have an impact on 3200 adolescent girls and young women and will be used to increase awareness of SRHR. Focusing on Family Planning, STIs, antenatal & postnatal services, use of modern contraceptives for dual protection against STIs & unwanted pregnancies among 3200 AGYW.

Kind regards,

SCOEN Team

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