Commitment, Concessions and Compromise: Experiences of building support for and addressing resistance to sexuality education from Nigeria. (1)
This paper describes and analyzes efforts led by the Nigerian Government and its partners to build support and to anticipate and overcome resistance to the delivery of the national school-based sexuality education programme (the Family Life and HIV Programme) in the country: Click Here…
Nigeria is one of the few countries in sub-Saharan Africa in which a national government-led school-based sexuality education programme has been scaled up nationwide. The scale up of this programme has been described elsewhere (2), but the strategic support-building and resistance-overcoming effort has not. That is the gap that this paper seeks to fill. (This is part of a body of work on learning from and with countries).
This paper is timely for two reasons. Firstly, opposition to sexuality education is not new. What is new is that the opposition is increasingly being orchestrated by well-funded organisations especially in North America, which in addition to communicating misinformation are providing financial resources to willing individuals and organizations in low- and middle-income countries to extend their work. In the face of this growing opposition, the efforts of Nigeria provide both and inspiration and practical approaches in overcoming this. Secondly, the paper will contribute to the animated public discourse that is under way in the country. Here is a statement by civil society organizations in Nigeria, pushing back on the statement and actions of the newly appointed Federal Minister of Education: Click Here…
References:
1. Chandra-Mouli V, Adebayo E, Watson K, Esiet A, Plesons M. Commitment, Concessions and Compromise: Experiences of building support for and addressing resistance to sexuality education from Nigeria. Open Health, 2022, 3, 155-167. Click Here…t
2. Chandra-Mouli V, Huaynoca S, Yaqub Jr N, Denno D M. Scaling up comprehensive sexuality education in Nigeria: from national policy to nationwide application. Sex Education, 2013.14, 2, 191-209. doi: 10.1080/14681811.2013.856292. Click Here…
I am pleased to announce the publication of a paper which takes stock of twenty years of progress in Ethiopia:
Akwara E, Worknesh K, Oljiira L, Mengesha L, Asnake M, Sisay E, Demerew D, Plesons M, Shirka W, Hadush A, Chandra-Mouli V. Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Ethiopia: Reviewing progress over the last 20 years and looking ahead to the next 10 years. 2022. 19, 123.. Click Here…
The paper makes the following points
1. Over the last two decades, political, economic and social developments, and national and development policies and programmes have contributed to changes in ASRHR.
2. Substantial changes have occurred in a number of health outcomes, harmful practices, health behaviours, health service use, and social determinants in the first two decades of the 21st
3. As we look to the next ten years, Ethiopia must build on the progress made, and move ahead understanding and overcoming challenges and making full use of opportunities.
It charts the impressive progress that the country made in the Millennium Development Goals era, and the somewhat faltering progress in the first five years of the Sustainable Development Goals era, and the challenges and opportunities to build on this.
The paper was coauthored by a writing team comprising of Ethiopian Ministry of Health staff, academics, NGO staff, UN agency staff and two young people (who were selected based on their involvement in ASRH work, supported to make the best contribution they could, and acknowledged/paid for their contribution).
This article highlights that although there has progress in the areas of adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights that have received attention and investment, this is uneven both between and within countries.
Chandra-Mouli V, Neal S, Moller A-B. Adolescent sexual and reproductive health for all in sub Saharan Africa: a spotlight on inequalities. BMC Reproductive Health. 2021. Read More…
The state of adolescent menstrual health in low- and middle-income countries and suggestions for future action and research
This paper is a report of a global meeting convened by WHO. At the meeting experts considered nine domains of menstrual health – awareness and understanding; stigma, norms, and socio-cultural practices; menstrual products; water and sanitation; disposal; empathy and support; clinical care; integration with other programmes; and financing – and answered the following five questions:
1. What is the current situation?
2. What are the factors contributing to this situation?
3. What should the status of this domain of adolescent menstrual health be in 10 years?
4. What actions are needed to achieve these goals?
5. What research is needed to achieve these goals? Read More…
Trends in adolescent first births in sub-Saharan Africa: a tale of increasing inequity?
Neal S, Channon A A, Chandra-Mouli V, Madise N. Trends in adolescent first births in sub-Saharan Africa: a tale of increasing inequity? International Journal for Equity in Health, 2020, 19, 151
Two key messages from the paper are: “ Adolescent first births are more common among women who are poorer, and live in rural areas; early adolescent first births before 16 years of age are particularly concentrated in these disadvantaged groups. Progress in reducing adolescent first births has also been particularly poor amongst these vulnerable groups, leading to increasing inequity.”
This paper builds on similar studies in Asia and Latin America.
Five key messages emanating from this body of work are:
- In the 25 years since the International Conference on Population and Development, the level of adolescent child bearing has shown an impressive decline.
- The decline in adolescent child bearing has been uneven across continents, across countries, within countries, and within communities. In some countries, the rate has remained unchanged or has even increased.
- In all countries, some groups of adolescents are being left behind. While some attributes of those who are left behind are similar across countries, others are not. What this means is that some of the factors contributing to adolescents being left behind are situation specific.
- National averages mask these disparities. Data collection, analysis and use should move from the national to the subnational level, to identify which groups are being left behind and why.
- In terms of what needs to be done, it is not about doing more of the same. It is about addressing the differing needs and problems of different groups of adolescents with approaches tailored to their needs. Read More…
Systematic review on peer education on sexual and reproductive health directed at young people in India
In May 2020, the Journal of Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters published our systematic review titled: A systematic review of the evidence on peer education programmes for promoting the sexual and reproductive health of young people in India.
The key messages of our review are that both the content and the delivery of peer education on sexual and reproductive health directed at young people in India vary greatly; there is little attention to quality in designing and delivering peer education; and the outcomes of peer education initiatives are mixed. Read More…
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July 30, 2020
In May 2020, the Journal of Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters published our systematic review titled: A systematic review of…
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June 26, 2020
In April 2020, the Journal of Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters published the above commentary which was in response to…
This open access handbook, the first of its kind, provides a comprehensive and carefully curated multidisciplinary genre-spanning view of the state of the field of Critical Menstruation Studies, opening up new directions in research and advocacy.