The Raising Awareness Project
In January 2006 a new three year project Raising Awareness on Global Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (2006-2008) started at the Family Federation of Finland. The aim of the project was to increase the knowledge of Latvian, Georgian and Finnish parliamentarians, government officials and the general public on sexual and reproductive health and rights issues and on their importance as a central development question. The project was funded by the European Commission and the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The project partners were Family Federation of Finland, Latvia’s Association for Family Planning and Sexual Health Papardes zieds, Georgian Association HERA XXI and the Family Planning Association of India.

For more information on the background and activities.

Contact:
Head of International Affairs, Hellevi Hatunen
tel+358-9-2280 5137, fax. +358-9-612 1211

INDIA

The project has finished in 2006.

The Sexual Health Promotion Project (2002-2006) aimed to increase people’s knowledge about issues related to sexual and reproductive health, such as the prevention of pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS, and safe motherhood. In addition the project strived to improve the access to family planning services and contraceptive methods.

The Mandi Project in Central India, in the rural areas of the state of Madhya Pradesh, focused especially on how to involve men in family planning. Even though the project aimed to educate and improve the health of women in reproductive age, the main target groups that have been chosen were men of different ages and mothers-in-law.

In India they often make all the decisions concerning family planning, the number of children and maternal care. The results from the Mandi Project demonstrate how important it is to also provide men with objective information on issues related to sexuality, contraception, pregnancy and maternal care. Information helps them to better understand women’s sexual and reproductive health needs and they are then better able to take care of their own and their spouse’s health.

The project was carried out by DKT-India, a NGO specialized in contraceptive social marketing. The project was funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.

MEXICO

The project has finished in 2006.

Introduction of Male-Specific HIV/AIDS Prevention, Gender Equity Orientation and Gender Violence Prevention in Mexico (2004-2006).

The first phase of this project was started in 2001 with the Mexican Family Planning Association, Mexfam. Its goal is to increase men’s knowledge and commitment to safe sexual behaviour, respect for gender equality and decrease spousal abuse. Its special aim is to prevent HIV/AIDS transmission from man to woman and violence against women. The target group is young and middle-aged men in 10 states of Mexico.

In order to reach its goals, sex education and services are being directed specifically towards boys and men, boys and men are being trained as peer educators and specific male-targeted services and educational materials are being produced. The project is funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.

NAMIBIA

The project has finished in 2004.

The support to the Namibian fight against HIV/AIDS among children and adolescents

This project was started in 2000 to create new educational ways to prevent HIV/AIDS among children and adolescents in the province of Hardap. The aim of the project is to prevent HIV/AIDS among young people with the help of school clubs. Drama, music and puppet theatre are used to provide young people with information about HIV/AIDS, its ways of transmission and prevention. The project activities include the training of teachers, community opinion leaders and parents to provide them basic information about sexual health and rights and to ensure wide support for the project’s aims and implementation. The project’s local administrative team is composed of professionals from the local educational sector and other volunteers, who have partial responsibility for carrying out the project’s activities.

On a national level the aim of the project is to develop cooperation between organisations, to influence the educational sector on the administrative level, and to achieve wider media visibility by training members of the media. Since 2003 Namibia’s Family Planning Association, NAPPA, has been the local partner and implementer of the project. The project is funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.