300,000 CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE REACHED IN CSE AND SGBV MESSAGES IN SIX DISTRICTS IN NORTHERN PROVINCE.

In the last 4 years to date SIA and its partners continue to champion the fight against SGBV in Northern through the SGBV Prevent! Project known as “NATWAMPANE”. The overall project objective is to reduce Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Zambia (specifically Northern Province). The objective has to pathways of success which are:

1. To prevent Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) by challenging and changing beliefs, attitudes and practices in Northern Province.

2. To increase SGBV survivors’ access and use of comprehensive support services in Northern Province

SIA is currently working in Kaputa, Nsama, Mporokoso, Lunte, Luwingu and Lupososhi while focusing on the first specific objective to provide prevention messages in the three thematic areas Gender equality/equity, SRHR and SGBV. Among the interventions used is the CSE out of school dialogue sessions which aims at targeting children and young people to be reached with CSE and life skills content through school and community-based interventions. Young Men as Equal Partners (YMEP) is another methodology used to facilitate small group dialogue sessions with ABYM whereby issues relating to GE, SRHR and SGBV can be informally discussed and challenged to encourage attitudinal, and behavior change that support the practice of more equitable, respectful and healthy gender relationships by ABYM during organized sports activities.

In the last few weeks, SIA conducted refreshers trainings in both methodologies targeting 60 participants for all districts. These trainings were aimed at addressing the Gaps identified in the implementation with sports coaches and CSE facilitators, improve  volunteers workforce due to drop-outs to help achieve the remaining targets and sustainability of SGBV messages as the project is approaching the end.