Comprehensive Sexuality Education

Comprehensive Sexuality Education: Empowerment of youth through Education!

Overall goal of project

To contribute to increased access to SRH services and advocate for Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE)..

Project duration

2 years (July 2013- June 2015)

About the project:

The Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association (PFPPA) has been working in the Palestinian society since 1964 tackling the issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRH&R) in a courageous and bold method within the boundaries of the existing traditions and different cultures, respecting the sensitivity of the topics presented as services and activities. Through its 5 service delivery points (SDPs) and 2 Youth Friendly Services (YFS) centers that are spread in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, PFPPA has been placing all its effort and resources to cover as much geographical areas as possible according to the needs of each location, and benefit as many communities as possible to provide the much needed SRH services and raise the public’s awareness to the alarming social and health issues statistics in regards to the different topics related to SRH and Rights, envisioning a country in which all women, men and youngsters have equal access to information and quality services related to their sexual and reproductive life, with all the necessary legislation to support the nature and precious aspects of all reproductive rights, throughout their life cycle.

Palestine has a unique situation in the Arab World region being under the Israeli occupation since 1948. This foreign occupation has shaped the general facade of the social, economical and political aspects of the country. The toll of the occupation is very vivid on the daily lives of the Palestinian people; from daily arrests, torture, threats and intimidations, house demolishing, to confiscation of lands and rights and killings. Moreover, the country has been divided into small residential areas, isolated from one another through barriers, checkpoints blocks and daily closures, not to mention the building of the “Apartheid Wall” along and within the West Bank since 2002. Many cities and villages have been marginalized and segregated as a result, while at the same time the population is continuously growing (by 39% between the years 1997-2006 according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) with a population in 2012 of 641,170 in the Hebron governorate alone), this makes the Hebron Governorate the largest of 16 governorates in both population and land area in the Palestinian territories . Within the limited residential areas that lack the necessary infrastructure, causing many social problems such as gender based violence, incest and rape, the erosion of human rights- mainly women and children rights and the infestation of the use of drugs among the young generation, added to that is the high rate of unemployment. Moreover, the enforced restrictions on movement and goods in between cities and villages have deprived the inhabitants from the basic vital services including health and social services.

There is an obvious stressing need to address the social and health issues and problems that are affecting the different Palestinian communities, in particular those related to comprehensive sexual education and sexual rights since there are many forces controlling them and affecting the decisions they make or are made for them.

This project is in support of youth ages 17yrs- 25yrs who to promote access to this basic and human right and related SRH services, and gender based violence issues, raise awareness to the importance of this issue, and bring about social and behaviour change for the new generation.

The PFPPA with a comprehensive and integrated human rights based approach to sexuality and sexual health will promote the realization of sexual rights as an aspect of global justice, development and health by following the seven principles of the Sexual Rights Module

Project Objectives

Objective 1: Enhance the capacity of 120 youth people from the Hebron governorate (Hebron and Halhoul) on CSE and 10 PFPPA staff and volunteer on the online module to promote change in attitude and behaviour regarding sexuality by the end of the project.

Objective 2: To strengthen the recognition of SRH and Rights as human rights by gaining the support of 4 policy makers and 10 community leaders from the Hebron Governorate -) by the end of the project.

Objective 3: to increase access to SRHR services by 30 % in comparison to 2012 (15 % year 1 and 15% year 2) through the 2 MA’s Youth Friendly centre by the end of the project

Project Activities

1.1. Conduct a field based assessment to review the level of local CSE knowledge of youth in Hebron

1.2. Conduct 4 training for youth of both genders (17 yrs – 25 yrs) comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) courses in the Hebron Governorate area. (40 youth each year).

1.3. Conduct (2) 30 hours training on CSE for 40 university students in the Hebron Governorate area (20 students each year).

1.4. Conduct a sensitization workshop on the online module for 10 PFPPA staff and volunteers.

1.5. Conduct bi-annual workshops for the peer educators within the 2 year period

2.1 Including youth volunteer participation in the MoH national committees and coalitions.

2.2 Conduct (2) meetings with 4 policy makers and 10 community leaders.

2.3 Produce (1) booklet about the project 

1000 copies will be printed and distributed.

2.4 Produce the PFPPA electronic news letters.

3.1 Conduct coordination meetings with CBO and universities

3.2 Prepare and sign memorandum of understanding with potential CBO.

3.3 Conduct 400 peer-to-peer educational sessions during the 2 yrs in the Hebron Governorate.

3.4 Prepare a referral system from the CBO to YFC.

Monitoring and evaluation of the project and its implemented activities.

– 12 monitoring visits will take place throughout the project to assure the work of the project team is being conducted in a professional and efficient manner..

— Monitoring and evaluation of the project implemented activities.

– Rights-based approach

Additions activity

5 workshops in the target arias that the peer educators will conduct .

Conduct a short film about the project success storie