Young people comprise of 28% of the Ethiopian population. They require quality health services to grow up to become healthy and informed adults. Unfortunately, in Ethiopia, health services for adolescents are not integrated, of poor quality, with inequity in access and utilization. This leads to multiple problems related to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of adolescents including gender based violence, risky sexual practices, child marriage, unintended (teenage) pregnancy and unsafe abortion.
To improve the health for adolescents, a focal point for sexual education is needed. Midwives can fulfill this role because of their unique position in clinics throughout the country and SRHR services being in line with their current responsibilities. However pre-service education is not adequately preparing them for this task. There is need to improve the educational environment of midwives tackling gender disparity.
Therefore, the Ethiopian Midwives Association and Health[e]Foundation – Global Health department of Amsterdam UMC/University and the collaboration Ethiopian universities / TVET colleges, funded by Nuffic, introduced this project to strengthen the universities SRHR curriculum development and support the educational system to deliver competent, gender-sensitive and entrepreneurial midwifery graduates.
First group of trainees start e-learning at Minilik Health Science College
Last week, the first group of 30 students from the Minilik Health Science College of Addis Abeba started their e-learning course. This course provides the midwifery students the needed knowledge, skills and capacity to promote SRHR and gender equality to their clients, peers and community members. The training includes modules on sexual and gender based violence, female genital mutilation to facilitation & communication skills and how to reach out to other adolescents. Besides the content, students are equipped with a package of activities enabling them to transfer their newly acquired knowledge to others. By this, the project aims to increase the universal access to SRHR services, positively influencing the health behaviour of adolescents and promoting gender equality.
In the coming weeks, more than 150 students at the Addis Abeba University, Gondar University and Debre Birhan University will start the e-learning course. Find out more about this project.
About the funder: Nuffic Orange Knowledge Programme
From the Dutch development cooperation policy, 4 priority themes have been selected on which to focus in the programme: Food and Nutrition Security; Water, Energy and Climate; Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights; and Security and Rule of Law. Cross-cutting themes in this programme are inclusion, employability and environmental sustainability. The Orange Knowledge Programme contributes to a society’s sustainable and inclusive development by providing access to education and training for professionals and organisations in technical vocational education and training (TVET) and higher education. It is funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of its development cooperation policy. The subsidy programme is managed by Nuffic, a Dutch non-profit organisation for internationalisation in education. It offers funding for long-term, demand-driven partnerships between Dutch knowledge institutions and organisations in 21 participating countries, as well as individual scholarships and Tailor-Made Training courses in all 54 selected countries. The € 220 m, 5-year programme ends mid-2022, enabling tens of thousands to change their future.
