Historical Moment at CSW
Published by Ilze Smit on 2010-02-28 in the blog Ilzes Blog
Tomorrow it will start; the 54th UN Commission on the Status of Women with the review of Beijing +15, more than 7000 NGO participants registered and a UN building under reconstruction. At this historical moment UAFC Joint Programming will host together with CHANGE, Brazilian Government and Danish Government a session about Universal Access to Female Condom at the 1st of March.
I hope that the Brazilian Minister of Women Emancipation Nilcea Freire, President of the International Womens Health Coalition Adrienne Germain, the Danish Ambassador Carsten Staur and Diretor of the Womens Action Group Edinah Masiyiwa will make a difference with their speeches to the government delegations. I know for sure that we could not have better advocates for our goal making female condoms accessible for all.
Flood of Family Planning
Published by Ilze Smit on 2009-11-16 in the blog Ilzes Blog
Family Planning, Family Planning, Family Planning
is good for just everything, like
· Reducing maternal mortality
· Realizing human rights
· Reducing pressure on environment
· Developing responsible citizens
· Improving sexuality women and men
· Economic development of a country
· Happiness in general
So why are many countries facing stock-outs?
Why are donors contributions decreasing?
And how to change that?
Those are the questions we try to find answers to at the Family Planning Conference in Kampala. We are with more than 1000 participants from 15 to 18th of November discussing outcomes of research and best practices on family planning. Although the weather is bad and the lunch venue is flooded with rainwater, the discussions are rich and hopefully bring answers to the urgent questions.
When it clicks and it fits, it's as good as natural!
Published by Monique Demenint on 2009-11-09 in the blog When it clicks and it fits, it's as good as natural!
This we reported during recent duty trip to Nigeria, for Interpersonal Communication Conductors, during a feedback session on their training activities. INtroduction of the female condoms is not possible without using context and culture specific communication skills and materials. This is the experience of the people working on the ground. Society of Family Health (SFH) Nigeria has recruited so-called Interpersonal Communication Conductors, that take the female condoms message to their peers in their communities or among their colleagues or their clients. In this particular session in Lagos City, some 15 women and 2 men shared their experiences. They mostly work as hair dressers or traders and are very focal and open to discuss any issues women and men may have using female condoms.
They are also very open to discuss their personal involvement, as one lady was explaining that for the last 10 years she has been living HIV positive and that she has finally convinced her husband to let her use female condoms. Others join in the sharing and explain that it works well ' not to tell your husband, the first time you are using it'. When he has experienced it, chances are he will not object.
The feedback session was short, as the personal communication conductors wanted us to see them at work. So they took us outside, where a group of mostly women were being trained as future caterers. They were unprepared, when one of the conductors interrupted their training and for something comepletely different, took over with a female condom demonstration. This caused hilarious responses, but as the conductor kept on talking and sharing her experience the ladies became interested. Some were asking about the price and availability.
At this very moment, in the Lagos SFH wharehouse temporary workers are working 9 hours a day to pack female condoms in so-called displayers. These are nice looking bigger boxes which will be transported to the actual wholesalers and through them to the shops, pharmacies and other oulets. So the conductors are now ready to sell female condoms straight away and refer ladies and men to shops near by where they can get them. Price for the consumer in Nigeria is 0,13 euro cents for a packet of two. This makes female condoms 2.5 time more expensive than male condoms. In December 2009 an other batch of 600.000 female condoms is expected in Lagos.
As the SFH manager in the wharehouse in Lagos explained: Nigeria is ready for female condoms!
Truly touched by words
Published by Ilze Smit on 2009-09-02 in the blog Ilzes Blog
This afternoon at the NGO-forum ICPD+15 we heard many beautiful words about the importance of the rights framework that ICPD offers to NGO’s. The final words were said by the youth representative Imane Khachani, Youth Coalition of Morocco. She was able to speak from the heart and to the hearts of all people in the conference room. She talked about the importance of inclusion of all people. The reality is that young people are sexual active and the rights related to this fact should be recognized.
Involvement of youth is important at all levels and this speech showed that if the words are spoken by a young women, the impact is enormous. The German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, Thoraya Ahmed Obaid of UNFPA and Helen Clark of UNDP were all touched by this urgent call. I hope her words will be heard by all decision makers. And of course I hope she will advocate many years more for the full implementation of ICPD+15. Then, maybe we will achieve our goals at 2014; reproductive and sexual rights and health for all!
Dazzled with new ideas
Published by Ilze Smit on 2009-09-02 in the blog Ilzes Blog
Dazzled with new ideas at the NGO-forum ICPD+15:
The Satellite Session at the NGO Forum on ICPD +15: Female Condom Programming and Advocacy, Breaking Down the Barriers! brought together three perspectives on current barriers for Universal accessibility of the female condom.
In an inspiring session, a strongly committed audience, consisting of representatives of as much of 14 c
ountries came up with many ideas of breaking down the barriers.
The barriers, or “opportunities” as we like to call them, were identified by Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro (Packard Foundation), Kimberley Whipkey (CHANGE) and myself (Ilze Smit, advocacy officer of the UAFC Joint Programme):
1. Lack of variety in female condoms models
2. The price of the female condom, which we consider to be too high
3. Joint and informed advocacy like the PreventionNow! Campaign are needed to get female condoms high on the international and national policy agenda. Now there are male gate keepers among policy makers that will not prioritize universal accessibility of female condoms. A strong joint voice of civil society is needed to break this ignorance.
4. The name Female Condom is seen as a barrier. It is associated with the male condom while the female condom is something for women. In many countries it is branded without even mentioning the word condom. In Nigeria it is called Elegance and in Cameroon Protective.
5. If we want to inform other women about the female condom, it should be done in a private safe setting. Discussing the use and experience with the female condom is always related to talking about sex.
Many came to us after the presentation and shared with us the current situation in their country. One big recommendation was to involve men from the beginning in female condom programming. Make them responsible!
Female condoms should be something pleasurable. If marketed as a pleasure product it will create and increase demand.
Equally important to demand creation is availability. If people cannot rely on the availability of a prevention method, they will lose confidence.
To get donor agencies and international organizations involved, we have to be able to provide them with testimonials en other stories. This should include stories and pictures of all women, young and old, from the South and North, married women and sex workers ect.
We will start this story gathering on this website very soon. But please feel free to share with us your experiences with female condoms in your country, female condom advocacy or programming. Do not hesitate and share it with us at info@condoms4all.org
Ye ye, I know all about the female condom
Published by Ilze Smit on 2009-06-23 in the blog Ilzes Blog
At the Programme Coordination Board meeting of UNAIDS in Genève, we are privileged to have a UAFC booth in the middle of the coffee room. Here we have the opportunity to discuss with the decision makers on the world’s AIDS policy the advantages of the female condom and the barriers to universal access.
If we ask the participants: “do you know about the female condom?” The answer we are getting is: “Ye ye, I know all about the female condom.” If we ask further: “do you know that there are different models? Do you know that the demand in Africa is enormous? That the female condom is highly acceptable? And that after fifteen years still only one female condom model is on the market that is not available.” No they do not know all that about the female condom.
Many questions they ask are about the prejudices that still exist, also within UNAIDS; one by one we try to answer them. Yes they are really safe, and unbreakable. Yes they are highly acceptable regarding more than fifty studies on acceptability. No they are not making any noise anymore because of the new material (nitrile instead of poly-urethane) that is used.
Fortunately there are also champions who are big supporters of the female condom, they know about the demand there is in Africa and the effects of the stock-outs. They are asking the question: why can it not be accessible for all those in need. We ask those champions to also become an advocate for the female condom because together advocating we can really make a change.
Today is the last day that we are answering the wide variety on questions and we hope that by this afternoon most participants will be able to say: ye ye, I know all about the female condom.
It ain't over till it is over
Published by Ilze Smit on 2009-04-08 in the blog Ilzes Blog
It is over, the International AIDS conference 2008 in Mexico City. In the closing session, the several speakers concluded that it has been a very successful conference. It was the first time that at the conference sex workers, homosexuals in Africa, transgender and other minority groups were on the stage to share their stories.
But at the contra side of this; the women of sub-Saharan Africa were not at the list of priorities while the feminization of AIDS is ongoing and one out of five of this group is infected with HIV. In the sessions on prevention that I have attended, this group of women stressed that there was a large demand for female condoms. But their demand was not heard by the reporters of the conference, unfortunately.
For the female condom and the UAFC joint programme, it has been a very successful conference. In the last two days we have had a press conference, satellite meeting, donor diner, female condom demonstration, networking, workshop and a session on Comprehensive Condom Programming. Unless the hectic schedule, we managed to build partnerships and we have made a lot of noise for the female condom.
Really important is a good and meaningful follow-up of the conference. We have met many new people, organizations and networks; it will be a challenge to work out all the new ideas that we have. I have talked to so many African women about the female condom, I am even more motivated to make female condoms affordable, available and accessible. I have heard too many stories of women that demand for the female condom without having access to it. It is their right to have access to this prevention method.
Becoming a real activist here
Published by Ilze Smit on 2009-04-08 in the blog Ilzes Blog
Day four in Mexico City
Youth becoming advocates for Female Condom
Published by Ilze Smit on 2009-04-08 in the blog Ilzes Blog
In the middle of hectic Mexico City the Pre-conference for Youth is hold. Three hunderd youngsters are talking about their realities in the field of HIV and AIDS. I am one of them.
One of the sessions discussed prevention methods for girls and women. The female condom was widely reviewed. The interests from all over the world were incredible. But listening to the stories, the conclusion is that the female condom is not available accessible or affordable in many countries while girls, women and men are demanding for them.
Together with Kimberly from CHANGE, we ask young women and men to become advocates for the female condom in their own country. It starts working; people here are putting the female condom on the agenda.
Most important conclusion so far is that an advocacy toolkit should be made for everyone who wants to become an advocate. So I will not do this advocacy work alone but with many young people around the world. Lazy me, but I promise the toolkit will be online soon on this website.
Preparations for International Aids Conference in Mexico City
Published by Ilze Smit on 2009-04-08 in the blog Ilzes Blog
Blog 1 of Ilze Smit, advocacy officer Female Condom
While everyone is leaving on summer holiday, we are preparing for a miraculous appearance of the female condom at the International Aids Conference. In Mexico City, there will be the largest AIDS conference of the world that is held every two years.
With our promotion team, demonstrations with all kind of female condoms and a satellite meeting to discuss why the female condom should be accessible for all, we hope to create a buzz... At the end of the five days conference everybody will whisper “female condoms should be accessible 4 all!”
UAFC lobby paper
UAFC has developed a profound advocacy strategy in order to achieve acces to female condoms for all. For background on this strategy and to strengthen your own lobby activities you have access to this paper.
Breaking down the barriers!
Ilze Smit of UAFC Joint Programme presented the session Female Condom Programming and Advocacy: Braking down the Barriers! at the NGO Forum ICPD+15.
Trainings in Rwanda
"In our daily work in HIV prevention and even in our sexual and reproductive life sessions with potential users, in trainings and advocay, we talk about female condoms as you can see in these photos. I'm pushing to include FC in our major advocay themes. It recently has been included in the Rwanda National NGO forum on AIDS for the four year strategic plan (2009/2012)," says Fortunée Twiyubahe from ACORD/Oxfam International in Rwanda.
UAFC December newsletter is out
Knowledge base live
Part of our new website is the revolutionary knowledge base. This is a repository of concepts related to the main theme of UAFC, the female condom. This repository is organized according to themes, geographic location and time. We invite you to start exploring our knowledge base.
If you feel you have anything to contribute don't hesitate to contact us.
ACMS Website
In Cameroon the Association Camerounaise pour le Marketing (ACMS) works on making Female Condoms available to a large usersgroup. ACMS has its own website, with which it reaches especially young people.
Interview with Victoria Archibong, SFH
"I believe the introduction of the male condoms was relatively easier. This could be because it was easier to target men as the “dominant” party in relationships and the ones who will wear the condoms. There was also a lot of support from donors and IPs. The female condom is regarded more as a “woman thing”. Some men may feel threatened as the female condom will empower women in demonstrating their sexual and reproductive health rights. For Female condom programming, programmers have to be more creative and strategic."
"I'm going to use mine"
"The male condom was promoted so hard in advertising, through school education and advocacy – we need the same effort for the female condom," said Farah Karimi, director of Oxfam-Novib at a press conference at the International AIDS Confernce in Mexico City. Mary Robinson, former President of the Republic of Ireland added: Girls and women need the skills to say, 'if you're not going to use yours then I'm going to use mine' to their sexual partners."
Empower women in Malawi
Sandra Mapemba, national condom programme coordinator at the Reproductive Health Unit (RHU) in the Ministry of Health in Malawi, believes the female condom will empower women to have more control in their sexual relationships, help them protect themselves from sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV, as well as unwanted pregnancies.
New on this site
- Blog: Historical Moment at CSW
- Document: advocacy message CSW spanish
- Document: advocacy message CSW portugese
- Document: advocacy message CSW french
- Document: advocacy message CSW english
- News: High Level Female condom side-event at CSW
- News: new campaign for female condom in Rwanda
- News: Sexuality, hiv & aids in Africa
- Document: Declaration on FC by Cameroon Government
- News: 2nd videoclip on promoting FC in Cameroon
