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Project

Learning partnerships to support gender-transformative innovations in adolescent and young people’s sexual and reproductive health in South Africa
 

South Africa
Project ID
109849
Total Funding
CAD 670,500.00
IDRC Officer
Nafissatou Diop
Project Status
Active
Duration
36 months

Programs and partnerships

Lead institution(s)

Project leader:
Nikki Schaay
South Africa

Summary

South Africa is facing a complex set of historic and current inequalities straddling race, class, gender, geography, disabilities and sexual orientation. Adolescents constitute almost one-fifth of South Africa’s population.Read more

South Africa is facing a complex set of historic and current inequalities straddling race, class, gender, geography, disabilities and sexual orientation. Adolescents constitute almost one-fifth of South Africa’s population. Rising rates of school dropouts and unemployment – further heightened since COVID-19 – are among the determinants influencing the lives of these young women and men. Of women between 15-19 years, 16% have begun childbearing, and among this group, only 52% were reported to be attending school. This age group faces a high burden of sexual and gender-based violence and, despite decreasing HIV incidence in South Africa since 2012, HIV remains high among female youth. Positively influencing these root causes of gender inequality requires gender-transformative approaches that look toward deep changes in how society is structured and how it accords privileges to some groups while discriminating against others.

This project will create a collaborative community-based learning platform to support dialogue, exchange and capacity strengthening on gender-transformative approaches in adolescent and young people’s sexual and reproductive health rights and services. The platform builds on a multi-sectoral program called “My Journey”, which delivers comprehensive biomedical, behavioural and structural support and services to adolescent girls and boys aged 10-24 in South Africa. With plans to scale up to 13 health sub-districts across all nine provinces, the learning platform will be piloted in Klipfontein in Cape Town, based on its high HIV prevalence, high adolescent-pregnancy rates and high levels of poverty.

The project will support community dialogues, photo-voice and youth-focused social media campaigns, newsletters, policy briefs, conference presentations and peer-reviewed journal articles. Expected outcomes include strengthened voice and agency of adolescents in all their diversity; increased awareness, skills and mobilization among families, communities, youth groups and government departments to support gender-transformative programs and actions; data systems that are more responsive to gender-transformative service delivery and reporting; and more responsive policies and related resources dedicated to gender-transformative changes.