Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
For SANOP, ensuring minimum provision of health services, HIV and AIDS care standards is a key objective. During the implementation of RCF2, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights advocacy and awareness-raising activities for inmates, ex-inmates, service providers and communities were rolled out and integrated into most of the activities undertaken by SANOP, with the aim to ensure a provision of comprehensive SRH services and standards for the prison population.
There are many known reasons why young people commit crime, from peer pressure, negligent parents, substance abuse to poor education, among many others.
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During the first and the second week of October, a total of 268 (40 F, 228 M) inmates were empowered with SRH and Entrepreneurship skills. These trainings were conducted in Mawelawela Correctional Facility, Vulamasango School and Malkerns Young Persons Centre. Topics covered during these sessions included, Life skills, cancer prevention, male circumcision, STIs, TB, Personal Hygiene, HTN, Fungal Infections, Mental Health, Diabetes, COVID 19 prevention, Relationships and SRHR Rights. Topics such as drug and substance abuse were also included. The training was delivered in partnership with HMCS nursing officers located in the targeted facilities. |
The community a child is raised in therefore becomes a key stakeholder in the rehabilitation of a young offender. Because of the corelation between some of the criminal activities and sexual behaviour, the community sensitisation also included sexual and reproductive health education. Such engagements are necessary in addressing the particularly the high crime rate reportedly perpetrated by young people between the ages of 16 and 24 as well as the high HIV/AIDS and teen pregnancy rates in SANOP countries. With this understanding, SANOP engaged several communities to foster crime prevention among the youth, as well as to educate them on their sexual and reproductive health.
The engagement sessions focused on educating the youth on various pathways to criminality as well as personal, familial, and social consequences of engaging in criminal behaviour. The crime prevention sessions were carried out by ex-offenders who shared their experiences with criminality in hopes to deter the youth from a life of crime. This activity was directed at adolescents and covered topics such as consequences of substance and drug use as well as peer pressure.
SRHR Projects
Eswatini: Crime Sensitization
SANOP Eswatini visited the rural community of Maphungwane in Siteki. Such community engagements allow SANOP Eswatini to encounter the issues facing the youth in the country such as increased crime, pregnancy, and HIV/AIDS.
Sexual Reproductive Health Training of Juveniles and Youths
Prison systems in SANOP countries struggle to provide even the most basic health care services, including SRH services for people in prison. SANOP prioritised provision of SHR services in and out prison system by integrating SRH training and information sessions throughout its activities.
Health and Youth Friendly Services Training
A Health and Youth Friendly Services training was held in November 2021, aimed at enhancing knowledge and skills among officers in health, especially sexual reproductive health and rights, and provision of youth friendly services.
Southern Africa Network of Prisons
Contact Info
Phase 4, Gaborone West, Botswana