Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
Because of the taboos surrounding discussions about sexual and reproductive health, many young people are vulnerable as a result of their ignorance about these key health topics. Young people who are not informed about the causes and consequences of STIs, unwanted pregnancies, rape, and cross-generational sex often find themselves wishing they were more informed about these issues earlier. Reproductive health challenges can pose many detrimental effects on the lives of youth, such as negatively impacting their health, worsening their performance in schools, and deteriorating their overall well-being.
Our approach to combating the reproductive health challenges faced by adolescents is multifaceted. Our experience, research, and expertise indicate that promoting gender equality, women’s empowerment, open communication, and comprehensive health education is key to advancing the well-being of young people across Cameroon.
Thus, we are committed to taking various concrete actions that improve the lives of adolescents, paying special attention to the objectives outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). For example, excerpts of SDG Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and Goal 5 (Gender Equality) are as follows:
3.7: By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes.
5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences.
One such way we have addressed the interrelated issues of gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is through the development of community-based initiatives. Addressing Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs through Edutainment addresses young people’s sexual and reproductive health challenges that arise as a result of lack of education, poor parent-child communication, and low overall knowledge of SRHR. This initiative was designed to provide adolescents with a comprehensive understanding of HIV/AIDS and other STIs, unwanted pregnancy, gender violence, menstrual hygiene, parent and child communication, and life skills through a series of community educational and entertainment activities offered in select community schools around the Southwest Region.
In addition, we educate communities about issues relating to sexual harassment, gender violence, and health through the development of our own research and advocacy briefs. Our SRHR Advocate Program likewise expands the public understanding of a variety of SRHR topics. We also actively advocate for improved communication between parents and children regarding SRHR topics. It is very important for adolescents to feel that they can get accurate information about this subject from an adult they trust.
A description of our SRHR Advocate Program can be found here. Our country-wide study on the prevalence of sexual harassment in Cameroon can be found here.