Community Engagement for Promotion of Reproductive Health Rights (RHR) of Youth and Improved Access to RH Services

  • Project Timeline:

    April 2025 – December 2026

  • Area of Implementation:

    Mansehra

  • Sector:

    Reproductive Health / Youth Engagement / Community Mobilization

Project Brief

The Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP), in partnership with the Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN), successfully implemented the Community Engagement for Promotion of Reproductive Health Rights (RHR) of Youth and Improved Access to RH Services initiative in District Mansehra.

The project focused on strengthening community knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to reproductive health (RH) and family planning (FP), with particular emphasis on adolescents, youth, married women of reproductive age (MWRAs), and male partners—groups often underserved within the formal health system.

A core innovation of the project was the Husband Schools model, which actively engaged men as positive influencers and shared decision-makers in household reproductive health and family planning.

Objective

To improve access to reproductive health and family planning services by promoting informed decision-making, gender-equitable attitudes, and community support for healthy reproductive behaviors among youth and couples.

Key Achievements

Over the course of implementation, SRSP completed a range of community engagement and capacity-building activities, achieving the following results:

  • 17 Husband Schools established, providing safe and structured spaces for men to discuss RH and FP responsibilities.
  • 30 Husband School Coaches trained, meeting the full training target and enabling sustained community-level engagement.
  • Monthly review meetings conducted, supporting reflection, learning, and adaptive planning among coaches.
  • 118 husbands reached with family planning messages through Husband Schools and male mobilizers.
  • 186 MWRAs engaged through door-to-door outreach and small-group discussions on RH and FP.
  • 7 husbands and 34 women mobilized to access family planning services, demonstrating increased service uptake.
  • Community-level mass awareness activities organized, further strengthening outreach and visibility of RH and FP messaging.

Impact

The project contributed to improved community engagement, increased acceptance of family planning, and strengthened shared decision-making between men and women in District Mansehra. By constructively engaging men through the Husband Schools model and ensuring equitable outreach to women, the initiative laid a strong foundation for sustained behavior change and improved reproductive health outcomes at household and community levels.

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