– Financial commitments from local elected officials for PF: one year after the Ouaga appeal, Equipop continues its advocacy!

On Thursday, September 20, 2018, theZiniarétown hall hosted a workshop to monitor the financial commitments made by local elected officials to promote family planning(FP) activities. Thisworkshop, organizedbyEquipop, is part of the implementation of the AdvanceFamilyPlanning(AFP)project, in whichEquipopadvocates for significant financial resources to be allocated to FP in municipal development plans(MDPs). 

Sixty-five municipal councilors from the municipality ofZiniaré, five mayors from neighboring municipalities(Dapélogo,Loumbila,Ourgou-Manenga,Nagréogo, andZitenga), threehealth workers,threecivil society organizations, and five traditional leaders from the municipality ofZiniarétook part in this advocacy workshop. Three specific objectives were targeted:

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• Convince councilors to support the mayor in his mission to promoteSRHR/FPin the municipality for the benefit of the population; 
• Obtain the commitment of city councilors to promote family planning in their respective localities;
• Convince city councilors to reallocate funds for PF in the 2019 action plan.

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Taking the floor, the mayor, PascalCompaoré,recalled the context of the workshop. In 2017, theZiniarémunicipal government committed to allocating financial resources for activities promotingSRHR/FP. 

[blockquote text="In 2018, $1.5 million was allocated to family planning activities. The same amount has been allocated for 2019 with the support of municipal councilors and traditional leaders," he explained, before thanking Equipop for "its constant support to mayors in implementing commitments made to improve the living conditions of women and girls. – Pascal Compaoré "quote_icon_color="#f7461c" text_color="#b3ada9"]

At the end of this workshop, the mayors present resolved to include the reading of an article on FP during marriage ceremonies bycivilregistrars and the issuance of civil status certificates. They also recommended strengthening the capacities of community leaders onSRHR/FP, intensifying awareness campaigns on female genital mutilation in communities, and organizing advocacy meetings with the municipalities ofDapélogo, Ourgou-Manéga,Loumbila,Zitenga, andNagréongo.