Addressing reproductive health challenges in Africa

In Africa, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) challenges exist within a complex cultural ecosystem involving family, friends, sexual partners, government, private and social sectors, all of which are sculpted by gender and social norms. These relationships and perceived roles lay the foundation for the day-to-day realities of Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW),and influence the experiences of men, boys and more marginalised communities invisibilised by societies.

The reality is that conversations on sexual and reproductive health can be uncomfortable, controversial and at times dangerous, particularly on the African continent. Since early 2023, the African Voices Project has been working in this sensitive spot aiming to tackle these issues with a fresh approach. 

According to project lead Dr Ekua Yankah, African Voices keeps conversations on SRHR alive, using unique and innovative ways. First, unlike the traditional norm where such conversations tend to be held at the highest levels with policy makers, government and UN agencies, it is really important to consider the voices that young people listen to and that are influential in this time and age within their homes.

The African Voices advocacy kicked off in 2023 with three high-profile trips to Namibia, Niger and Cape Verde taken by a team led by Prof Myriam Sidibe, the founder and chief mission officer of Brands on a Mission and supported by her father - renowned public health expert and senior advisor of the African Voices project, Dr Michel Sidibe. 

Prof Myriam Sidebe adds that their unique positioning as father-daughter relationship emphasises the importance of inter-generational dialogue in African communities and the crucial role men and boys play in championing equitable sexual and reproductive health as both gatekeepers and service users.

Prof Sidibe and Dr Sidibe engage wide ranging audiences, including First Ladies, community-based organisations and the media. These in-country visits, in addition to the project’s successful International Women’s Day campaigns in Kenya focused on menstrual health and ending gender-based violence (inspired by the recent #EndFemicideKE movement), connected multi-sectoral players resulting in engagement and advocacy at the highest levels of government, including with The Organisation of African First Ladies for Development.

Secondly, the African Voices project has also leveraged digital platforms, social media and Artificial Intelligence (AI), aiming to further destigmatise sexual and reproductive health topics. One key aspect has been the engagement of African youth influencers to appeal to young audiences. 

Collaborations with the Tanzanian-based production company Songai led to the creation of “Fatima TV,” an AI animation film inspired by the three countries visited by Prof Sidibe and Dr Sidibe, featuring Fatima, a virtual preteen influencer who engages with young people on crucial SRHR issues.

Dr Ekua Yankah explained the vision behind this short film: “Fatima TV came about because we were trying to create a timeless documentary about sexual and reproductive health. The kind of thing that people could watch in 10 years’ time and still believe was relevant. What you normally find in documentaries is that you have a Northern European or Global North voice speaking about a population in the Global South. And so, we reversed that and made the film in the voice of a young girl of a fictional character. Her name is Fatima and Fatima is an activist”.    

Fatima basically represents what African youth are now and what they will be in the future. And this approach of her having been created with AI is also us placing ourselves within global conversations about artificial intelligence, about what Africa’s future can be.

Thirdly, looking ahead, the African Voices project remains dedicated to centering African youth voices to tackle SRHR challenges – the team will be discussing this further at the Sexual Violence and Research Initiative Forum in Cape Town, South Africa this October. With Africa’s youth set to constitute 75 percent of the population under 35 by 2030 - investing in their health and wellbeing is crucial for transformative societal change in Africa. 

In conclusion, we need fresh approaches that engage new stakeholders such as brands that know and are shaped by young people - to challenge harmful SRHR norms. 

The article was written by Prof Myriam Sidibe and the African Voices team.