Project name: AZE2R303, Increasing the Knowledge and Skills of Women, Men and Young People to Adopt Responsible Sexual and Reproductive Behaviour  

Budget: USD 108,040

Timeline: 1 January 2005 – 31 December 2005

What's the situation?

Adolescents in Azerbaijan are the most vulnerable members of society when it comes to their needs and social requirements for sexual and reproductive health. Sexual education among young people still requires special attention and emphasis from the government and non-governmental organisations. Currently, Azerbaijan still needs international support to address the needs of young people regarding reproductive and sexual health, including such issues as unintended pregnancies among adolescents, the use of modern methods of contraception, or the prevention of sexually transmitted infections. Education programmes, both within schools and outside them, have been identified as the main tool to address the reproductive health issues Azerbaijan's young people. UNFPA's Peer education campaigns  are key to increasing young people's awareness of specific issues related to their sexual health and to safe behaviour. All activities being implemented for young people need to bear in mind the gender perspective. It is vital to involve men in the comprehensive programmes on reproductive health particularly young military recruits and students of the Police Academy. These young men need to be made sensitive to such issues as the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, family planning and gender-based violence since a continuing lack of understanding on these issues has been identified among Azerbaijan's armed services. Community mobilization and Information, Education And Communication (IEC) should be promoted in the certain regions of the country. Increasing public awareness at household and community levels would lead to the further referral of people who need help to medical clinics or RH centres.   

What’s our mission?

With special emphasis on young people and their needs regarding reproductive health, UNFPA is seeking to use a two-pronged approach to provide the specific information and medical services, including counselling: in-school reproductive health approach and out-of-school reproductive health approach. The first component has been implemented through a programme of introducing family life education into the national secondary schools curricula. This programme with the Ministry of Education has covered all secondary schools in the country (over 4,000). A programme for out of school education will be implemented through Y-peer initiative (peer education) using the international expertise which will be adapted to local conditions in Azerbaijan. To address the achievement of the third Millennium Development Goal (gender equality), UNFPA is planning to expand the male involvement component of its reproductive health programme by means of a broad training initiative with young recruits, people in the armed services and police academy with the aim of addressing issues such as sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS prevention, family planning, and violence. UNFPA is also planning to expand the geographic coverage of its community-based services to the districts of Azerbaijan which have not yet been covered during an earlier project cycle. A local NGO will be implementing the project to promote RH advocacy among households and communities in selected pilot areas of Azerbaijan. These areas will be selected based on the poverty level, density of refugees and internally displaced people, and the existing standards of primary health care.      

How is UNFPA doing this?

UNFPA is involved in a wide variety of activities to help promote responsible and safe sex practices:

1  UNFPA is conducting training on RH issues and safe sex practices, along with IEC and negotiation skills