Female Condom and LGBT Support
With funding from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in partnership with Population Services International, this project aimed to reduce the incidence of HIV infection and the number of unplanned pregnancies among the sexually active population. This was achieved through support for uptake of the female condom—a method that is controlled by women—by educating and empowering women and training them on correct usage and to negotiate contraception with their partners. The project also sought to empower sexual minorities in Mozambique through advocacy and health promotion activities. In order to support these outcomes, Pathfinder helped to ensure access to female condoms in health facilities, supported the training of providers to counsel and provide services related to female condoms, and facilitated the creation of support groups among users of female condoms to ensure correct usage and increase method adherence.
Since January 2012, more than 26,000 female condoms were distributed to health units and 4,800 women participated in meetings to monitor the consistent use of the female condom in health units.
This Spring 2013 edition of Pathways explores Pathfinder's gender equality work through the stories of women like Deolinda, a young advocate and female condom user, and Celia, a nurse and family planning advocate empowering women in Matola, Mozambique.
Pathfinder is developing and implementing a community-based model that supports the health and rights of young women of reproductive age by addressing the four prongs of PMTCT.
Bolstering Multisectorial Action to Address Gender-based Violence and Sexual and Reproductive Health
This project, funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, strengthens and scales up a multisectoral approach to primary and secondary prevention of gender-based violence and unsafe abortion in Gaza, Inhambane, Cabo Delgado, and Maputo provinces.
PAST PROJECT: Pathfinder reduced violence against women by establishing networks and building on government capacity and civil society responses. This project increased access to health, social, and legal services for women and girls.
The Single-Visit Approach as a Cervical Cancer Prevention Strategy Among Women With HIV in Ethiopia: Successes and Lessons Learned
Cervical cancer is the second most common form of cancer for women in Ethiopia. Using a single-visit approach to prevent cervical cancer, the Addis Tesfa project tested women with HIV through visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid wash and, if tests results were positive, offered immediate cryotherapy of the precancerous lesion or referral for loop electrosurgical excision procedure. The objective of this article is to review screening and treatment outcomes over nearly 4 years of project implementation and to identify lessons learned to improve cervical cancer prevention programs in Ethiopia and other resource-constrained settings.
Several laws and policies address gender violence in Mozambique, including a 2009 law on domestic violence and a new penal code that came into force in June. Yet many problems remain.