Make Way

In Ethiopia, the weak infrastructure, limited distribution systems, and poor service quality have hindered universal access to healthcare services (Woldemichael, et.al). The country has limited resources. It is also a society with oppressive social norms, as well as misconceptions about different minoritised groups. All this means that if any SRH services are available, it is extremely difficult for women, people with disabilities, and female sex workers to get access to them.  

The overall focus of Make Way Ethiopia is to improve the country’s policy environment for effective implementation of SRH services for minoritised young people. By building the capacities of collaborating partners, the programme aims to facilitate the advocacy done to make SRH services better. And to make these services available for sex workers, people with disabilities, and out-of-school youth, as well as for young, internally displaced people.

Kenya has a young and rapidly growing population of 47.6 million people. According to the 2019 population census, 75% of the population are under the age of 35 and 59% under the age of 25. But these young people are not all the same. 

The programme aims to achieve its objective of enhancing access to SRHR for youth facing discrimination through innovative lobby and advocacy by youth civil society organisations and their allies. To reach the ambitious yet essential goal, it will work on the critical issues identified by strengthening youth leadership. Of the 11 collaborating partners, four are youth-led and youth are the leading voice in ensuring that young people who face discrimination, can exercise their right to SRHR. 

The project does this by utilising a community of civil society organisations (CSOs) who actively work on intersectional lobby and advocacy at all levels, to ensure intersectionality is embedded at all levels of SRHR practice and policy. 

Rwanda has recorded remarkable gains in the promotion of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) over the last few years, but access to a full service package for all categories of the population is still a long way off. The 2019-2021 Demographic Health Survey reveals that teenage pregnancies have been rising in recent years – mostly in rural areas. 

The issues minoritised youth face in exercising their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are generally stigma, discrimination and exclusion, fed by negative perceptions and societal norms. Youth with disabilities, for example, are seen as asexual. 

Prevention of teenage pregnancies is a focus area. Pregnancy undermines a girl’s ability to exercise her rights to education, health and autonomy. The Make Way programme in Rwanda focuses on creating safe spaces for vulnerable youth, such as those with disabilities, teenage mothers, young people in isolated areas, sex workers and people living with HIV. 

Make Way Rwanda has developed an innovative model for safe spaces: ‘Urubohokero’ – ‘judgement-free space’ in the Kinyarwanda language. Older girls are now giving sex education to young girls, especially about ways to prevent pregnancy and access SRH services and information. Youth panels play a big role in managing and shaping the safe spaces as the link between the coordination group, partners and young people.

While Uganda has made some significant progress in the area of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), the country still experiences some challenges around access to SRHR. 

Factors like education, wealth, location, and region in the country play a significant role in determining access to health.  The 2016 Uganda Demographic Health Survey report highlighted that women in rural areas, women with no education, and women with low income are less likely to seek critical health care than their urban-dwelling, educated, and wealthier counterparts. 

Make Way seeks to promote the adoption of an intersectional feminist approach to SRHR that enables people who are historically marginalized, like women, girls, LGBTQI+ people, youth, people from low-income communities and people living with disabilities, to have their needs accounted for in planning, budgeting and service delivery processes. The Make Way programme seeks to do this by building marginalised communities' lobbying and advocacy capacity and ensuring they have representatives in decision-making processes. 

The project also strengthens the capacity of Civil Society Organizations to advocate and lobby for the change they want to see in their communities and amongst local, national, regional, and global decision-makers, while demanding that duty bearers implement policies and plans with an intersectional lens. The Make Way youth panel engages youth to ensure intersectional practices are part of Uganda’s present and future. 

Zambia is experiencing a sharp demographic shift and is one of the world’s youngest countries by median age. Its urban population is growing rapidly, at 2.9% per year, and will likely double every 25 years. As Zambia’s young people enter reproductive age, this increasing population will put even more pressure on the demand for jobs, healthcare and other social services.¹ Adolescents and young people aged 10–24 comprise about a third of the Zambian population. This group faces several challenges in accessing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, with adolescent girls and young women disproportionately affected by poor SRH outcomes.²

The Make Way programme in Zambia focuses on improving SRH outcomes for the most minoritised young people and for those who face multiple vulnerabilities. Programme objectives are aligned to existing reproductive health policies and programmes in Zambia, aiming to reduce the barriers to sexual and reproductive health rights SRHR information and services.

1. https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/zambia/overview
2. https://www.unicef.org/zambia/reports/knowledge-and-use-sexual-reproductive-health-and-hiv-services