Title: Promoting Sexual Reproductive Health Rights of Adolescents and Youths in Northern Uganda, Otuke District

This project directly addresses the rising birth rates and reproductive health of young people in northern Uganda through advocacy, peer education, increased services, and better economic opportunities for young women. Currently, over 50% of women in Uganda have children before the age of 20, and the average number of children per mother is seven. Access to contraception and other reproductive health services is low in rural areas, such as the Otuke District. This, combined with social norms valuing reproduction and a child marriage rate of 59%, has led to a high birth rate for young women and girls along with dangers such as mortality and infant death. In order to combat these factors, the Foundation for Integrated Rural Development (FIRD) proposes a multi-faceted approach. Increased access to reproductive and sexual health services will help to reduce health-related risks and gender-based violence. Through trained peer educators, young people in the most marginalized areas will learn about sexual and reproductive health and their rights. FIRD will work to strengthen local support systems and youth-led community groups to work against the social norms leading to child marriage and to increase understanding of sexual and reproductive health. At the end of the project, both individuals and communities will be left stronger and with better knowledge regarding health services and rights.