Adolescence
Health and Social Services for Adolescent Girls in Benin
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| © UNICEF/HQ93-1993/Pirozzi |
| An adolescent girl, a runaway 'vidomegon' (live-in domestic servant), holds an abandoned baby outside a UNICEF-assisted shelter |
Project Objective
Improvement in the quality of lives of adolescent girls in Benin through
improved sexual and reproductive health adoption of positive, uncompromising behaviour changes attitude towards adolescent particularly girls among teenagers, parents, society, religious and political leaders
Project background
Situation of Adolescents particularly girls in Benin
26% of the population (estimated to 6 million) are between 10 to 19 85% are reported to have had sexual experience at the age of 16 years 79.4% of pregnancies in schools end in abortions leading to complications and death Secondary school enrolment for boys is 64.6% and for girls is 34.4% Girls older than 15 never been to school 75.4% for girls as compared to 50.1% for boys
The Health and Social Services for Adolescents project in Benin, (Empowering Adolescent Girls and Enhancing their Reproductive Rights -EAGER) is financed by the United Nations Foundation from March 2001 to March 2004.
The project is integrated in the Benin UNICEF five year programme 1999-2003. The project directly benefits uneducated or under-educated young girls and young mothers through non-formal education.
The project aims to promote the improvement of adolescent reproductive health through raising awareness and changing behaviours among young women and adolescents and is based on human rights approach.
Project operates in youth recreation centres, youth clubs and training centres. The centres promoting the concept of safe spaces extends services to income generating activities, sensitisation, information, documentation, games and leisure, counselling and apprenticeship.
Registered nurses, informed educators and specified NGO partners organizes motivational activities in the apprenticeship centres, in professional training and in the classrooms.
The Situation of Adolescent Girls in Benin (DHS data analysed by Population Council)
The Situation of Adolescent Girls in Benin (DHS data analysed by Population Council)
Project Partners
National Counterpart: Directorate of Leisure (Ministry of Youth Sports and Leisure), Directorate of Family Health (Ministry of Health)
Implementing Partner: UNICEF and UNFPA
Associated Implementing Partner: World Food Programme, UNESCO, Beninese Association for the Promotion of the Family-ABPF, OSV
Outcomes
Adolescent girls and mothers taking up income generating activities as compared to the starting point at the outset of the project activities.
Significant number of parents, local community, religious and political leaders supportive top and informed about adolescent girls human rights
Knowledge and understanding of situation of youth and of ways to promote the fulfilment of their rights.
