OWNING THEIR FUTURE “ነገን በራሴ”
Fostering Diverse Partnerships to Expand Adolescent and Youth Sexual Reproductive Health Services.
In Ethiopia where 30% of the population is comprised of young people, access to safe and affordable Sexual Reproductive Health services (SRH) remains a barrier for women and girls to have equitable participation in all aspects of life. The Decision-making autonomy of women on Family Planning and related issues is among the key indicator for women empowerment yet 73 percent of the women currently using Family Planning (FP) methods stated that the decision is made jointly with their husbands. The lack of information and services combined with the lack of life skills makes it difficult for them to care for their health and make informed choices about their SRH. Strengthening and expanding access to family planning and SRH services for young people is critical to averting maternal mortality and morbidity, and key to accelerating Ethiopia’s path towards a more prosperous future for the country.
By bringing together complementary expertise and innovation from Marie Stopes International (MSI) and Population Services International, in partnership with the Ministry of Health (MOH), OTF (Owning the Future, or “ነገን በራሴ”) was born to improve access to sexual reproductive health information and services for young women in rural Ethiopia
Decision-making autonomy of women on Family Planning and related issues is among the key indicator for women empowerment
OTF is a project that demonstrates the deep commitment that MSI, PSI, and the Government of Affairs Canada have to improve the overall well-being of adolescents and youth in rural Ethiopia.
Owning their Future builds upon the successful project, Smart Start, designed through PSI/E’s flagship Adolescents 360 project with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. Smart Start uses financial planning as an entry point to engage young married couples in rural Ethiopia in planning their futures and reaching financial stability, positioning contraception as a tool to achieve their self-defined goals.
The project expands Smart Start to 39 new districts in Oromia, SNNPR, and Sidama Regions will reach 150,000 women and young girls in rural Ethiopia with Sexual and reproductive health services and health services and 500,000 men, women and young people with information on SRH so they can make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.
