Project profile — Freedom to Choose: Improving Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in South Sudan

• South Sudan (99.89%)

• Developing countries, unspecified (0.11%)

• Population policy and administrative management:
Population policy and administrative management (13010) (49.95%)
Reproductive health care (13020) (19.98%)
Family planning (13030) (19.98%)
• Government And Civil Society, General: Ending violence against women and girls (15180) (9.99%)
• Unallocated/ Unspecified: Sectors not specified (99810) (0.10%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (significant objective)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

This project aims to empower women and girls in South Sudan to make their own decisions about their sexual and reproductive health, free from discrimination, coercion and violence. This is done by enhancing the availability and quality of sexual and reproductive health services in targeted communities, as well as working with community leaders and members to positively influence attitudes and social norms related to sexual and reproductive health, rights and health services. Project activities include: (1) establishing eighteen static and mobile sexual and reproductive health clinics; (2) engaging 60 community-based sexual and reproductive health promoters to create awareness and mobilize communities to demand services; (3) mapping and disseminating relevant rights and gender equality policy documents in targeted communities; and (4) training 180 volunteers as sexual and reproductive health and rights promoters in three selected communities. The project is expected to reach over 34,000 women and adolescent girls through the delivery of sexual and reproductive health services, and will contribute to improving the health, rights and status of many women and adolescent girls in South Sudan.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved access to quality gender-sensitive and youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services, including family planning; (2) increased acceptance of women and girls’ safe use of sexual and reproductive health services; and (3) increased community respect and protection for women and girls’ sexual and reproductive health, rights and gender equality, including by key decision-makers.

Results achieved as of April 2019 include: 1) two outreach activities were conducted, where 297 people were provided with sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, including HIV/AIDs testing, STD testing, cervical cancer screening, and information on sexual and reproductive health and family planning methods; 2) the construction of a clinic in Juba is being finalized, which will serve as a training, learning, and demonstration hub on sexual and reproductive health and rights in South Sudan; 3) a women and girls’ support group was formed in Juba, and members were trained to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in their communities. Men and boys were included in the training sessions as part of a strategy to address negative patriarchal attitudes and encourage positive behaviour change to uphold the rights of women and girls; and 4) a handbook on gender, SRHR, and gender-based violence (GBV) in South Sudan was developed, and will be used to sensitize and educate community members and local level leaders on the importance of women and girls’ rights, SRHR, and sexual and gender-based violence(SGBV), and promote behavioural changes.

• Proactive disclosure