By Wendy Nondia Tipoka and Cyril A. Otabil, Youth Champions, Ghana

This year, the International Network for the Reduction of Abortion Discrimination and Stigma (INROADS) conference was held in Mombasa, Kenya, between the 10th and 14th February this year. Cyril Otabil and Wendy Nondia Tipoka, from Ghana, share their reflections on those four days exchanging thoughts and ideas. Here’s the first of our Youth Champions reports on the 2020 INROADS conference.

What did you bring to the conference to share with others about your work?

Cyril: I brought with me a lot of innovative ways to communicate about abortion. Ranging from the language used, to strategies in engaging girls in outreach programs targeted at busting abortion related stigma, and peer mentoring which offer girls and women referral to points for abortion related services.

I also brought IEC materials we designed with Ylabs, that communicate issues about safe abortion services, bust stigma and educate the general public about body autonomy and the consequence of having authority over another person’s body. And a poster presentation on what Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG) together with the Youth Champions are doing in the project sites to bust stigma related to abortion, including media campaigns and community sensitization outreaches.

Wendy: I brought to share some of the IEC materials such as posters, fliers, stickers, that we use for our activities, how we developed them and how it has worked for us.

I shared some of the activities we do, including Community Sensitization, Social Behavioral Change Communication (SBCC), radio programs, referral of young people to access Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC); how young people and adults have found this useful to them, and also our visit to health facilities we work with every month. I also made contributions to questions I thought were part of my work as a Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) advocate.

What were your expectations for attending this conference?

Wendy: The key ones were to meet new people and learn new strategies on how to bust stigma in a community so no one will stigmatize you, the facilitator or the youth champion. I really met my expectations and I’m hoping to apply these new skills to my work as a youth champion and as someone who busts stigma in my region.

Cyril: I had expectations on learning from a global network on issues relating to abortion stigma, in order to gain knowledge and skills that can be locally adapted to aid in combating stigma. I also expected to gather toolkits that help in educating religious leaders and busting the stigma that they inflict on persons who need or have performed abortions. Finally, I expected to be re-energized and re-oriented to the world of abortion in the global scene.

What were the most important things you learnt?

Cyril: That male involvement is needed not for men to take leadership roles in the discourse but to learn, in order to engage other men to become more supportive and bust abortion stigma and patriarchy.
I also learnt about abortion communication, the role of abortion Doulas, the need for active listening as a tool for counselling, adequate opposition monitoring and artistic ways of communicating about abortion.

Wendy: I learnt how to work with media people with a strategy to target the public about safe abortion. I also learnt about the usage of embroidery classes and positive story telling about abortion, words used in communicating about abortion, Values Clarification and Attitude Transformation (VCAT), the fertility dance and pathway games, and the Ipas curriculum about abortion stigma. Every session was practical, which I think helped a lot.

What changes will you bring to your project following this conference?

Wendy: The changes I will make to my project (StigFAS) are

  • Sharing positive abortion stories in any activity I carry out;
  • Introduce pathway games to my activities;
  • Introduce the fertility dance to the people I meet, especially young volunteers so they can share with their friends and colleagues the message on Family planning;
  • Using embroidery to communicate my work;
  • I will introduce the Ipas curriculum to educate on Abortion stigma;
  • I will also reach out to disabled people about safe abortion, since they are always left out or not recognized.

Cyril: I will change the mentality of male involvement as one not for men to be involved in abortion decision making, but rather to learn what abortion is and the adversities related to its denial.

  • In counselling, I will add active listening; for people who just want someone to listen to them, not necessarily because they want advise or coaching;
  • Adequate documentation of our work not just for the Member Association, but also for the INROADS network.
  • Work on strengthening our doula system;
  • Include innovative ways of learning about family planning, such as the Fertility Dance.

Finally, were you able to connect with others working to end Abortion Stigma?

Wendy: I had the opportunity to meet a lot of people from different countries who are also champions on abortion stigma projects, we interacted and exchanged contacts. I thank IPPF and Inroads for the opportunity given.

Cyril: I met people from Safe2choose and SAAF, who have a good variety of IEC materials we can share in our project sites, especially the university as they have a certain ‘vibe’ that is common in the University of Ghana. I have been added to the INROADS network and I am positive this will provide me with first-hand information on abortion toolkits that can aid in busting stigma and providing care for those who need it.

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