The content of this publication is the responsibility of the AÇEV Project Team and cannot in any way be used to reflect the views of the Turkish Ministry of Health or the EU. |
AÇEV formulates and implements various projects with domestic and overseas funding with the aim of increasing coverage and effectiveness.
To this end, and as a result of the call for proposals made by the European Union in the year 2004 within the context of the Reproductive Health Program and the Integrating the Gender Issue into Development Cooperation Program of the Turkish Ministry of Health, three project proposals were submitted to the EU and approved. Implementation of all three projects began in early 2005.
The two projects outlined below are being implemented as part of the Ministry of Health’s, Reproductive Health Program in Turkey (B7-4110).
|
|
 |
1- Empowering Limited-Resource Families: Sexual Health/Reproductive Health and the Parent Education Model
With a belief in the importance of creating awareness regarding sexual health/reproductive health in families and within the context of the grant program the European Union has put into effect with the aim of supporting efforts on Sexual and Reproductive Health in Turkey, AÇEV developed a project entitled “Empowering Limited-Resource Families: Sexual Health/Reproductive Health and the Parent Education Model” to be implemented in the provinces of Adana, Istanbul and Bursa. The project will run for two years and through implementations of the Mother Support Program and the Father Support Program, participants will receive training on both parenting issues and issues pertaining specifically to reproductive and sexual health. 6,000 mothers and fathers are being targeted as part of this project. Project participants will also receive peer training where they will convey what they have learned to two of their peers. It is estimated that an additional 12,000 mothers and fathers will be reached in this manner.
In the three project provinces, Istanbul, Adana, and Bursa, trainers selected from among teachers attend a two week “trainer training” organized by AÇEV. Trainers that complete the training then organize and implement 13-week training courses for mothers and fathers. During these meetings, participants receive information on effective parenting, child-rearing, intra-family communication, and democratic decision making methods in the family. Furthermore, with regard to sexual and reproductive health, the program also aims to inform men and women about pre and post natal care services and increase access to them, enable both the usage of family planning methods and increase the likelihood of their being discussed in the family, raise awareness about how sexually transmitted diseases can be prevented and encourage safe practices, raise awareness about breast and uterine cancer and finally, increase men’s awareness regarding their responsibilities on sexual health.
2- Literacy Project for Sexual Health/Reproductive Health and Our Rights
AÇEV has been running educational activities on adult literacy in Turkey for the last nine years and based on knowledge and experience accumulated over the years and in collaboration with the Delegation of the European Commission to Turkey, a project entitled “Literacy Training for Sexual Health/Reproductive Health and Our Rights” began in the provinces of Adana, Erzurum and Van in 2005.
The project will run for two years and aims overall to improve, through education, the status of illiterate women who lack sufficient knowledge on sexual and reproductive health and thus cannot adequately benefit from related services.
The aim of this project is to enable illiterate women young and old, living in regions of high population density and domestic migration, to acquire this basic skill, as well as to raise their consciousness on issues pertaining to sexual health/reproductive health, family health, gender inequalities, and women’s rights. It is expected that women equipped with such information will make more conscious decisions regarding both their own health and the health of their family and thus make use relevant services. In this manner, 4,410 women will have acquired literacy skills and gained awareness on issues pertaining to sexual and reproductive health by the end of the project.
Furthermore, it is expected that a very large number of additional beneficiaries will be reached through community meetings and communications activities. The project aims to provide participants with support in a variety of areas beyond basic reading and writing skills in order to assist in their personal development and to increase their quality of life.
AÇEV implements the below project within the context of the grant program entitled “Integrating Gender Issues into Development Cooperation” (B7-6220).
3- Attaining Gender Equality in Education and Social Participation
This project is being run in collaboration with the Association to Support and Train Women Candidates (KA.DER) and Educational Reform Initiative (ERI) and aims to reduce gender inequalities in education and to increase the participation of women in activities outside of the domestic sphere. The project is being implemented in Diyarbakır , Mardin and Şanlıurfawhich are all provinces with low literacy rates and in Istanbul, Turkey’s most highly populated metropolis which takes in the highest number of migrants from the eastern provinces.
Illiterate women, parents who have primary school-aged daughters, community members, local authorities, journalists, non-governmental organizations, national policy makers, and media organizations comprise the target group of this three year project.
In order to create a community-based model aiming at reducing gender inequalities in primary schools in the said four provinces in Turkey, parent training seminars will be held in addition to the projects core training program entitled “Functional Literacy and Civic Education for Women” through which 7,000 illiterate women are being targeted. In addition, information meetings geared toward creating awareness on the importance educating girls and dialogue meetings with community representatives will be held.
All of the training programs within this project have been designed to specifically address the socio-economic, cultural, logistical and life-style limitations and special needs of the low-income women living in the targeted areas. In addition, a “civic education” section designed especially for women who have recently acquired literacy skills will also be implemented. Through consciousness-raising activities and community initiatives, women who attend this program will be encouraged to take a larger part in decision making mechanisms in the family, parent-teacher associations, local non-governmental organization and vote in local elections.
During program implementation, AÇEV will run project coordination, and ensure literacy training and parent education implementations are conducted. KA.DER will provide civic education to women and support AÇEV on issues pertaining to gender policies. The third partner ERI will conduct policy making, network formation, advocacy and evaluation-monitoring activities.
These project is funded by the European Union and implemented by AÇEV. |
|
