In Senegal, the SANSAS project – "sunu wergu yaram sunu yité" – aims to improve access to reproductive health services for adolescents and young people, particularly girls, young women, and vulnerable youth. It aims to facilitate their access to quality, appropriate health services and education that enables them to make informed choices. The goal is to reduce gender inequalities and the violence that results from them. First steps in Sédhiou and Mbour.
Last February, meetings of young leaders were held consecutively in Sédhiou and Mbour. Thirty young people from each locality took part in training on leadership and advocacy techniques. Through their work and discussions, the young people were able to speak freely about the barriers and difficulties they face in accessing information on reproductive health and their rights.
An environment conducive to young people's development
Launched in October 2021 in Senegal, SANSAS aims to overcome these difficulties. Led by a consortium led by Solthis, Equipop, Enda Santé, Raes, and Lartes, the project is based on a holistic approach that combines research, service provision, communication, and advocacy to create an environment conducive to the development of young Senegalese people. It is funded by the French Development Agency to the tune of €8 million over a period of four years. According to the National Agency for Statistics and Demographics (ANSD), Senegal is characterized by its extremely young population, with those under 20 years of age representing approximately 52.1% of the population. This dynamic force needs to be equipped to make free and informed choices about their health in order to better take charge of their future.
Child marriage and female genital mutilation at the heart of the debate
Aware of the difficulties they face, during the meetings the young people began to reflect on female genital mutilation in Sédhiou and child marriage in Mbour. Based on the discussions that took place during these training sessions, potential advocacy topics that young people will work on during the incubation labs began to emerge. "These training sessions were an opportunity for Equipop to meet dynamic young people who are committed and aware of the realities of their environments," emphasizes Marième Ly Diagne, program manager for Equipop, in charge of the SANSAS project. Equipop's specific mission within this consortium is precisely to support their individual and collective action and to strengthen their capacities throughout the project through training." Next step: in the coming months, advocacy action plans will emerge from the incubation labs at the local and then national levels. Equipop is also monitoring the "knowledge transfer" component, which will raise awareness of the project's activities and research results for use by decision-makers and the general public through political and social mobilization.
