Through an inclusive and transformative approach that places female listeners in the districts of intervention at the heart of the action, the Jeunes en vigie* project aims to strengthen adolescents' and young people's access to quality health services that are integrated and adapted to their specific needs and constraints, while respecting their rights.
As part of the implementation of the Jeune en Vigie project in Burkina Faso and Senegal, data collection exercise via a social audit was conducted by female auditors in each of the districts involved in the project. This enabled them to produce an analysis document for each country.
The consequences of the rights violations observed are serious in terms of mental and physical health. The auditors took advantage of the feedback sessions to present to young people, healthcare providers, and authorities the realities experienced by young girls and boys in terms of their access to quality care and services on sexual and reproductive health issues.
Female listeners challenge and mobilize
The involvement of female auditors in the analysis and reporting of results has enabled them to take ownership of the results and enrich their understanding of the context. The technical, operational, and thematic support provided by the consortium and field teams has resulted in the strengthening of the collective and individual powers of all female auditors. They are now able to carry out social and political mobilization actions to ensure better access to SRH care and services.
Five months to break taboos and demand profound change
In Senegal, in the districts of Mbour and Matam, female listeners will ask district chief medical officers to commit to systematize the implementation of the youth approach in all district health centers by the end of 2023 (training of health providers).
In Burkina Faso, in the districts of Koupéla and Tenkodogo, female listeners consider it essential to advocate for significantly improve family planning services (inputs, holistic service offerings, etc.). In the health districts of Réo and Koudougou, the listeners will focus their efforts on promoting awareness of the rights and commitments in sexual and reproductive health that exist in the country and demand their effective implementation.
* Jeunes en vigie is a project implemented in four districts of Burkina Faso (Koudougou, Réo, Koupéla, and Tenkodogo) and two districts of Senegal (Matam and Mbour). The implementing partners in Senegal are the NGOs RAES and Jeunesse et Développement (JED), and in Burkina Faso, the NGOs SOS Jeunesse et Défis and Burcaso. Equipop, the lead organization, provides technical support for the implementation of activities.
