Bule Hora, West Guji Zone, Oromia Region of Ethiopia: Fourteen year-old Ekram Bedru is a member of the “Her Space” initiative engaging adolescent girls. Going to the 6th grade at the Bule Hora Primary School in West Guji Zone of the Oromia Region, she says this platform has helped her acquire knowledge about her health, the harms of child marriage and menstrual hygiene building her confidence, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
Ekram says her family was planning to marry her off since she turned 14 just like her elder sister and she was worried that that would be the end of her education. “Thanks to the orientation the Her Space initiative gave to my family, my parents have now been convinced not to marry me off and my brothers are sharing the burden of household chores giving me enough time to read and do my homework,” she comments. She adds that she and her peers are also visiting health facilities enabling them to familiarize themselves with the services available to young people at youth corners.
Yenenesh Hailu, the principal of the school Ekram goes to, said that the programme has supported participants to develop self-esteem, and communicate and convince families to limit household responsibilities that have been hindering the performance of female students and tackle early marriage. The initiative has also been helpful in convincing the female adolescent students about the importance of taking vaccines such as HPV to protect them from cervical cancer.
“Her Space” initiative aims at empowering adolescent girls to exercise their human rights, especially related to sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender-based violence and exploitation. This initiative targets in-school girls age 11 to 14. Twenty-five girls participate in a group where a series of 40 sessions with the support of trained health extension workers and teachers are facilitated. The initiative links the girls with parents, brothers, schools, the community, and the nearby health facility to promote the adolescents’ social-health development.
UNFPA supported the Her Space initiative in three woredas as part of the five-year Integrated Family Planning and Sexual Reproductive Health Programme funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The programme is being implemented in six selected districts in the West Guji and Gedeo Zones of the Oromia and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regions, respectively. The programme is strengthening the efforts of the government in increasing access and availability of SRH and GBV prevention and response services primarily targeting adolescents and youth.
Yaynabeba Negash, the Adolescent and Youth Heath Focal Person of the West Guji Zone Health Department, notes that the engagement of family members and parents was instrumental to ensure support and encouragement to the girls. “Key community members, police and influential person were oriented and engaged which enhanced the support provided to the girls,” she states adding that they want to scale-up the implementation of the initiative to other woredas.
As to Ekram, she wants more students to participate in the initiative. She plans to continue her education and become a pilot one day to show her community that women have all the capacities.
