Today is Global Female Condom day and many countries, organizations and institutions are celebrating the existence of the female condom. Zimbawe, Zambia, South Africa, Malawi and Kenya are sponsoring events that elevate the need for female condoms on the world stage. Despite the knowledge that female condoms are essential to reproductive planning and prevention of STI/STD’s, they are still not readily available in many places. Check out some of the activities going on throughout the African Diaspora to raise awareness about this important issue:
Zimbabwe: Female condom road show & march in Gweru, Province Midlands, The Gweru District
Although the usage of the female condom has increased over the past few years, knowledge about it still remains relatively low especially among men. Male involvement needs to be improved. PSI (Population Services International) will travel around the district with several female condom road shows, reaching out to Gweru residents in general, people living with HIV/AIDS, college students, truckers, male barbers and hairdressers. Organizer/funder: PSI Zimbabwe, Contact name: Patience Kunaka, [email protected], Tel. + 263 4 339580
Zambia: Female condom activities at Soweto Market, Lusaka The Zambia Health Education and Communications Trust (ZHECT) promotes and distributes the female condom.
Today, a female condom booth will be positioned at the crowded Mandevu market in Lusaka. Various activities will take place, including demonstrations of how to use the Female Condom, essential for first time use. ZHECT plan to distribute a re-branded female condom, specially designed to target youth. Organizer: Zambia Health Education and Communications Trust (ZHECT), Chilufya Mwaba-Phiri, [email protected], Tel. + 260-211-223267.
South Africa: GFC Day
For over 10 years, FC female condoms have been available in South Africa and SUPPORT South Africa has provided training, support and technical assistance on female condoms to the South African National and Provincial Departments of Health and numerous NGOs throughout the country. Now in partnership with key NGOs, SUPPORT is engaging in the following activities for GFC Day.
Keeping the voices of HIV Positive Women on the HIV Prevention radar – a smart partnership. SUPPORT, in partnership with one of South Africa’s most prolific networks of HIV Positive women, the Positive Women’s Network, will be hosting a multi-faceted event that will bring together women from diverse backgrounds, across generations, to discuss life, love, sex, sexuality, pleasure, HIV prevention and human rights – all in the context of the FC2 Female Condom.
ZAZI and the FC2 Female Condom – Know your strength! In addition, SUPPORT and its partners – ZAZI, JHHESA and NACOSA – will launch a limited edition FC2/ZAZI co-branded Female Condom at some of the country’s busiest shopping malls in four South African Provinces . The launch will include information as well as more than 16 thousand co-branded FC2s! These launches will happen at: (1) Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape at Kuyasa Shopping Complex in partnership with the Community Media Trust, (2) Kimberley in the Northern Cape at the Diamond Pavilion Shopping Centre in partnership with Lifeline, (3) Khayelitsha in the Western Cape at the Khayelitsha Mall in partnership with the National Religious Association for Social Development and (4) Mkhanyakude in Kwa Zulu Natal at the Mtuba Complex in partnership with DramAide.
Engaging Men in Female Condom Distribution
The award winning human rights and health organisation, Sonke Gender Justice is coming together with SUPPORT in a discussion about the importance of working with men and boys to promote justice in the context of gender based violence, HIV and health. From this discussion will come an opinion piece on the importancy of engaging men in female condom distribution including advocacy and interpersonal perspectives.
Organizer: SUPPORT South Africa, Positive Women’s Network , Sonke Gender Justice Network, ZAZI, Networking AIDS Community of South Africa, Johns Hopkins Health and Education in South Africa (JHHESA). Contact: Katy Pepper (SUPPORT Country Coordinator), [email protected], Tel. +27 (0) 614 149 142
Malawi: Female Condom Road Show, One hour Live Interactive Television Program, and a half-day national Symposium on FCs
Malawi has been having events to raise awareness about female condoms over the past weekend, especially among women and men in the age group 15-35. The Hunger Project Malawi organises a serial of events preceding and during GFCD; today’s event is a symposium:
Today, a National Female Condom Symposium with key stakeholders discussing strategies to improve access to female condoms, funded by CHANGE.
Organizer: The Hunger Project Malawi, Mr. Rowlands Kaotcha, Country Director, [email protected], Tel. +265 1 844 699
Kenya: Key Stakeholders Breakfast Meeting “Increase the Female Condoms availability”
Today, there is a breakfast meeting in Nairobi Panafric Hotel bringing together key stakeholders from the area of STI/HIV prevention and family planning. The aim is to discuss how the availability of female condoms can be increased. The meeting will be attended by Kenya’s First Lady Margaret Gakuo Kenyatta, delegates from the Ministry of Health and national aids organisations such as the National Aids Committee as well as delegates from UNFPA, donor organisations, national and international NGOs and other stakeholders.
Organizer: Muthaa Community Development Foundation, Emily Karechio, [email protected], Tel. + 254 720 278 614
This information was submitted in the form of a press release to The Burton Wire by Rose Afriye. This post was written and revised by The Burton Wire’s Founder & Editor-in-Chief Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D.
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