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STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK DOCUMENT St. Lucia March 23-24, 2015. REGIONAL FRAMEWORK TO REDUCE ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY. The overall goal of the framework is:.
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STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK DOCUMENTSt. Lucia March 23-24, 2015 REGIONAL FRAMEWORK TO REDUCE ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY
The overall goal of the framework is: Toreduce the number of adolescent pregnancies in each country of the English- and Dutch speaking Caribbean by at least 20% within the time-period 2015 – 2019
HOW IS THE STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK DESIGNED FIVE OUTCOMES WITH FIVE KEY RESULT AREAS
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK OUTCOMES • By 2019, all adolescent girls and boys have access to responsive sexual- and reproductive health services, information and commodities, including contraception and emergency-contraception.
By 2019, all adolescent girls and boys have access to age appropriate comprehensive sexuality education (at least as of the age of 10) as included in national school curricula implemented in all schools, and through informal education modalities for those adolescents not in school
By 2019, all governments implement social protection mechanisms for the prevention of all forms of violence against adolescent girls and boys, especially the poorest and most marginalized
By 2019, all governments in the English- and Dutch speaking Caribbean adopt common legal standards concerning ages of marriage, consent, prosecution of perpetrators of sexual violence and access to social protection and sexual and reproductive health services
By 2019, governments in the English, French and Dutch speaking Caribbean exchange knowledge, information and adopt good practices in addressing social determinants of adolescent pregnancy.
Outcome 1: Access to responsive sexual- and reproductive health services, information and commodities: the framework proposes • Strengthening and increasing the availability of differentiated youth friendly, non-judgmental and free from discrimination, sexual and reproductive health services for adolescents, particularly for girls and boys of 14 years and older. These services should improve and increase of the availability and utilization of information and counselling for adolescents on sexual and reproductive health issues. • This proposal includes the availability of a full range of contraceptives for adolescents, including emergency contraceptives, and the removal of financial barriers for accessing contraceptive commodities. • Finally, any adolescent pregnancy, particularly of girls 16 years or younger, will need to be addressed as a high risk pregnancy by professionals who are adequately trained in ensuring appropriate delivery of maternal health services
Outcome 2: Access to age appropriate comprehensive sexuality education, the strategic framework will encompass: • Ensuring access to comprehensive and age-appropriate sexuality education, in particular Health and Family Life Education, as part of the school curriculum and implemented in all schools. • Many adolescent boys and girls are not in school, therefore greater emphasis will be placed on the implementation of programmes aimed at providing information on sexuality education to out-of-school girls and boys, including through community adolescent health programmes. • Finally, the skills of parents, including fathers, in addressing sexual- and reproductive health of their children will also be addressed, through the school community and other parenting training mechanisms for the most disadvantaged population. That requires and includes the capacity building of teachers.
Outcome 3: Social protection mechanisms for the prevention of all forms of violence against adolescent girls. • Increasing the availability of social workers and community outreach aimed at identifying at-risk girls and responding to their issues. • Through the support of these social workers and the implementation of community outreach programmes, adolescent boys and girls, their families and communities will be empowered to identify risk factors and promote the development of safe and responsible social environments. Special attention will be paid to monitoring domestic violence, peer-pressure and bullying, among other factors in neighbourhoods, communities and schools • Social protection schemes including (conditional) cash-transfer programmes will also be designed and implemented where feasible. These social protection schemes will target the poorest segments of the population and will need to aim at maintaining adolescent girls and boys in school (including pregnant adolescent girls), and with the objective to ensure access of adolescents to affordable health services, including sexual- and reproductive health services.
Outcome 4: legal Standards: The strategic framework proposes that in order for CARICOM Member States are to reduce adolescent pregnancy: • They have to share a set of standards for the enactment of legislation that can regulate the ages of consent, marriage, access to contraceptives and sexual and reproductive services. • It will also be beneficial to have a common set of standards to sanction sex offenders and protect victims of sexual violence. Activities will be linked to already ongoing efforts related to the identification, attention and rehabilitation of victims of sexual abuse and violence, including incest, grooming, transactional sex and trafficking. This also includes the implementation of norms and standards for safeguarding of anonymity of adolescents, and others, when denouncing sexual violence and abuse as well as enhancing and enforcing legislation related to identification and prosecution of sex offenders. • In addition to the ongoing initiatives, specific actions will be implemented in removing legal barriers, aimed at the standardisation of age of consent for sexual intercourse (and reinforcing legislation related to age-differential), parental consent for access of adolescents to reproductive- and sexual health services and commodities and addressing child marriage, among others.
Outcome 5: Exchange of knowledge, information and good practices in addressing adolescent pregnancy • Outcome 5 promoted by countries in the Caribbean. As such, potential good practices related to reduction of adolescent pregnancy will be identified, evaluated and documented and South-South Collaboration between countries in the Caribbean (including sharing information, study tours and through technical assistance from one government to another) will be supported. When feasible, South-South Collaboration efforts could be extended to other regions and sub-regions. • Addressing adolescent pregnancy in a multi-sectoral, integrated manner, aimed at cooperation and coordination between the sectors and actors involved will contribute to achieve accelerated results. Such a multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder response will also allow for better identifying the most-at-risk adolescent girls and boys and supporting them in exercising their sexual- and reproductive rights. • This also includes sharing good practices in addressing societal influences, behaviours and (perceived ‘modern’) lifestyles that promote risky sexual behaviour and substance abuse. As part of these efforts, debates about the influence of media broadcasting will also be pursued. In addition, addressing and changing social norms will require a lot of attention. This includes discussions about the role of men and women in society, and especially a debate about ongoing harmful cultural practices that could lead to adolescent girls becoming pregnant.
