The workshop, which was held at St Theresa’s Community Hall, in Nairobi County drew young women and girls from the various villages in Mathare to discuss pertinent sexual and reproductive health rights issues affecting them. The participants represented villages such as Kiamutisya, Village 2, 4A, 4B, and Kosovo.
The workshop aimed to achieve three key objectives:
- To guide participants on the legal and policy framework on sexual and reproductive health rights in Kenya;
- To equip young girls and women with sufficient and practical knowledge on comprehensive abortion care; and
- To create a forum for open dialogue amongst the participants on the challenges they face in accessing sexual and reproductive health rights.
These participants were chosen for this workshop in light of the role that young women and girls play in regard to issues of sexual and reproductive health, more particularly as recipients in violations such as rape, defilement and unsafe abortion.
Key challenges that were discussed during the meeting included teenage pregnancies that result to increasingly high number of school drop outs, insecurity in the peri-urban dwelling that heightens chances of rape, lack of information on contraceptives among the girls and unsafe abortions resulting from the unintended pregnancies.
After the workshop one of the participants stated, “I have learnt about unsafe abortion and what a girl needs to do when raped. When I go back home, I will share this message with my community members, especially the young girls in High School.”
As a result of this workshop the young women and girls now have increased knowledge, skills and competence in matters of sexual and reproductive health and will be agents of change in their respective villages able to begin demanding for the respect and protection of their sexual and reproductive health rights. This training is in line with KELIN’s strategic outcome to empower communities on health related rights.
To contribute to the discussions on this forum, follow KELIN on our social media platforms: Twitter: @KELINKenya or Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kelinkenya
For more information contact:
Tabitha Saoyo, Programme Manager,
Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights, KELIN
4th Floor, Somak Building, Mombasa Road
Tel +254202515790; Cell +254 790 339963;
Email: tsaoyo@kelinkenya.org
