Content of Training

The ongoing activity is to build their confidence as women and as marginalized women to be assertive, confident and have the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions especially about their Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights issues including HIV & AIDS.

The topics to be covered include:

• Confidence building knowledge and skills
• Gender analysis and gender based violence
• Instilling confidence and self–esteem
• Leadership kit
• Confident leader at work and in the community
• Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights issues
• HIV & AIDS/STIs

TOPIC HIGLIGHTS

Gender Analysis and Gender Based Violence

Girls are affected by both gender and age, HIV and AIDS, harmful cultural practices, gender based violence, disability and poverty.

There are many things that perpetuate gender-based violence and endorse it. The role of television, music , cultural practices, sex adverts and the general thinking that a woman’s body is a sex object will be explored with a view  to demonstrate that unequal  society has more victims than thought. Violence against girls and women takes so much self esteem out of them.

Instilling Self Esteem and Confidence

This is the critical moment of the training where trainees will be expected to transform from being perceived victims into survivors and realize the leadership potential in them.

Through communication, managing anger and examining all relationships, trainees will do an honest spitting out of all that makes them feel powerless.

Trainees here must show they are willing and able to be confident and they are self empowered. There will be many activities in music, public speaking, advocacy, drama and poetry.

The basic principle in this section is “you can’t empower others if you are not confident and empowered yourself.” Always walk the talk.

Assertive Rights

Those who lack confidence show passive and aggressive behaviours. If you want to achieve assertiveness know your rights and live by them. Tolerate differences in people.

• The right to ask for what we want ( realising that the other person has a right to say No )
• The right to have an opinion, feelings and emotions and to express them appropriately.
• The right to make statements which have no logical basis and which we do not have to justify
• The right to make our own decision and cope with consequences.
• The right to choose whether or not to get involved with the problems of someone else.
• The right not to know about something or to understand.
• The right to make mistakes
• The right to be successful
• The right to change our mind
• The right to privacy
• The right to be alone and independent
•  The right to change ourselves and be assertive people

NB* The assertive person is not just concerned about his or her own rights but always encourages and promotes assertiveness in others.

Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights
Personal Behaviour

Different individuals accept different levels of risks to satisfy their sexual needs. However with the proper knowledge, a young person can make his or her own informed choices in life.

Genital Self Examination (GSE) for sexually active people is a simple exercise that can be performed to identify any abnormalities.

This can help in early diagnosis of any abnormal conditions and treatment of STI problems.

Role of Peer Educator:
Education and Referral

It is important to educate every peer educator to be able to provide basic SRH information and for her to refer every young person visiting her for STI counselling and treatment because the Peer Educator has an excellent opportunity to help the young person reduce his/her risk of getting STI, including HIV, or spreading it to other people.

The young person will be interested in the information because of his/her condition. This may be one of the few opportunities that the young person has to contact the Peer Educator and to find out more about STIs and safer sexual practices.

It may also be one of the few opportunities for the Peer Educator to break the cycle of transmission of STIs in a community.

Peer Education involves giving young people practical information about STIs. It also helps them to understand how STIs spread, why it is important to treat them, and help young people to understand how they can protect themselves, their partners and children in the future.