The girls at grassroots are the "backbone" for our communty development

We started by indentifying the issues, deepening understanding of the issues in the context of the local communities we operate. We conducted stakeholder analysis and identified target/audiences; we set goals and objectives and developed advocacy strategy. We have created and published messages, we identified allies and building support, and the remained steps are pending to be continued. Women/girls health and safety is important area of our advocacy. 

This is a critical concern as girls marry and have children before they are ready; often well before the age of 18. Quality maternal health care can provide an important entry point for information and services that empower mothers as informed decision-makers concerning their own health and the health of their children. Violence Against women, girls and children and HIV/AIDS is becoming an increasingly impactful issue for women/girls. As it has been cause and consequence of HIV/AIDS and recently of COVID-19 for many women and girls in the target grassroots communities. 

This can be related to women having fewer opportunities for health education, unequal power in sexual partnership, or as a result of gender-based violence. The government is aware but silent about different forms of violence against women/girls. In terms of physical, psychological, sexual and economical abuses, and women/girls access to education, technology, and employment opportunities equally to their male counter parts. In the community we operate girls still make up a higher percentage of out-of-school children than boys. Families are also relying on girls' labor for household chores, carrying water, and childcare, leaving limited time for schooling.   

 Prioritizing education of girls and women is vital for country like ours, because women accounts more than  50% of the total population and significant contributors towards realizing the country’s overall development goals; thus girls/women education provides perhaps the single highest return on investment. An educated girl is more likely to postpone marriage, raise a smaller family, have healthier children, and send her own children to school.  

Just to mention a few findings from research that Provides information on the percentage of young women and men who have had sexual intercourse before age 15 and before age 18. Young people who initiate sex at an early age are typically at higher risk of becoming pregnant or contracting an STI than young people who initiate sex at a later age. Consistent condom use can reduce such risks.  Overall, a higher percentage of young women reported having sex before the age of 15 (9%) compared with young men (1%). An even higher percentage of women reported having sex before age18 (40%) compared with men (12%). Young women in rural areas are more likely to have had sex before age 15 than their urban counterparts, with 3% in urban compared with 11% in rural areas. Among women age 15-24, the percentage who had sexual intercourse before age 15 declines with increasing level of education, from 22% among women with no education to 1% among those with more than secondary education.  Among women and men age 18-24, the percentage who had sexual intercourse before age 18 decreases with increasing level of education. Sixty-six percent of women age 18-24 with no education had sexual intercourse before age 18 compared with 8% of women with more than secondary education. Similar trends can be noted with the percentage of men who have had their first sexual intercourse before age 18.   Overall, the percentage of young people age 15-24 who have had sex before age 15 has decreased from 16% in 2005, 11% in 2011, and 9% in 2016 for women. The corresponding proportions for men are 2%, 1%, and 1%, respectively. The percentage of young people age 18-24 who have had sex before age 18 has increased from 35% in 2005 to 40% in 2016 among women and from 9% to 12% among men( as cited in EHDS,  2016, p.9).

Therefore, we demand on the authorities/ government at all levels  and other  organizations  both  for profit and nonprofit  that are contradictory to each other to comprehend the issues and take corrective measures in any of indentified arena may include but not limited to lack of political will, community awareness, or financial resources needed to address the issue  through enforcement or developing effective policy to address  gender equality, balanced power relations, justice , women’s human rights  through improvement of  education, technology/ digital skill,  social, economic,  reproductive health and rights for women and girls at grassroots communities.