UNFPA’s WORK WITH FBOs

Meeting of Religious Leaders to Assess Response to HIV & AIDS

29-30 November 2011 Toronto, Canada

Dawn Minott Technical Specialist UNFPA Headquarters, HIV/AIDS Branch

About UNFPA

The goal… Population dynamics Young people including adolescents Achieve universal access to sexual and reproductive health, promote reproductive rights, reduce maternal mortality, and accelerate progress on the ICPD agenda and MDG 5 (A & B) Women enabled by … to improve the lives of …

AREAS OF HIV WORK

Young People Most at Risk Populations Linking HIV & Sexual Reproductive Health Women and Girls Comprehensive Condom Programming Strategic Planning

Assumptions underlying UNFPA’s engagement with FBOs

 FBOs, religious leaders and religious institutions, are important partners in the process of development, particularly when it comes to influencing behaviour, attitudes and perceptions.

 FBOs and religious groups have enormous outreach, both actual and potential, and manage the oldest, most far-reaching and diverse array of social service delivery mechanisms.

SNAPSHOTS OF INTERVENTIONS:

Strategic Partnerships & Alliances



UNAIDS, EAA & Partners

(Global) • Inter-Faith Prayer Breakfast during High-level Meeting on AIDS 

Interagency Task Force on Engaging FBOs for the MDGs

(Global)  Strategic Learning Exchange:

Faith, Development & Partnership

course offered by UN Staff College to  Senior UN staff

World Young Women’s Christian Association

(Global)  International Women’s Summit:

Safe World” “Women Creating A

SNAPSHOTS OF INTERVENTIONS:

Strategic Partnerships & Alliances



Regional Strategy for Engagement with Faith Communities as Culture Agents

(Latin American region) 

Regional Framework for Partnership with Interfaith Organizations

(African region)  Regional consultation resulted in framework to scale up support to FBOs for promotion of gender equality and maternal health

SNAPSHOTS OF INTERVENTIONS:

Strategic Partnerships & Alliances



National Forum of FBOs

established (Venezuela, and replicated in Colombia & Mexico) • Roster of theologians from different religious traditions • Publication on common priorities between FBOs and UNFPA • • Common training manual for seminarians on SRH Q&A directory addressing stigma and discrimination from a theological perspective

SNAPSHOTS OF INTERVENTIONS:

Strategic Partnerships & Alliances



Religions for Peace and Latin American Council of Churches

(Latin American region) • • Prevention of GBV Support Interfaith Committee on HIV Prevention, • • Treatment & Care Addressing stigma and discrimination Promoting MDG 5 (reducing maternal mortality)

SNAPSHOTS OF INTERVENTIONS:

Strategic Partnerships & Alliances



Women Faith & Development Alliance

(Asia-Pacific region) • Enhancement of women’s status – addressing poverty and gender equality 

Campaign for Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality Reduction in Africa

(Africa region)  Promote and advocate for intensified implementation of Maputo Plan of Action for Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa

SNAPSHOTS OF INTERVENTIONS:

Strategic Partnerships & Alliances



Youth-friendly Spaces

in community worship places • Adolescents SRH, gender-based violence (Guyana) 

Faith Network Ecumenical Counseling Center on combating Gender-based Violence

(Malawi)  Supported development of National Plan Against gender-based violence  Radio debates by clergy addressing the church and gender-based violence

SNAPSHOTS OF INTERVENTIONS:

Capacity Strengthening



Anglican Diocese:

Senior clergy as partners in addressing SRH, gender, GBV and masculinities and to create enabling environment for information and service integration into Diocese programmes (Guyana) 

INERELA+:

Increase organizational capacity to work in defense of the rights of communities most vulnerable to HIV (Global) 

EAA:

Theological Consultation on HIV Prevention (Global)

SNAPSHOTS OF INTERVENTIONS:

Capacity Strengthening



Training

• 200 Islamic scholar missionaries to address RH issues • (Sierra Leone) Leaders of religious communities on gender-based violence and to include gender-based violence in marriage counseling (Malawi) 

Training of Trainers

for religious leaders to link Islamic precepts with health priorities (Tajikistan) • Spin-off – specialized institute for State training for religious leaders being promoted

SNAPSHOTS OF INTERVENTIONS:

Technical Assistance



HIV prevention activities

addressing human rights, stigma and discrimination reduction against people living with HIV and their families (Honduras) 

Study

to map FBOs response to violence against women and children (Asia-Pacific region - done by Asia Pacific Women Faith & Development Alliance) 

Research

on gender-based violence and published findings – “Gender-based Violence from Buddhist Perspectives” (Sri Lanka)

SNAPSHOTS OF INTERVENTIONS:

Advocacy & Awareness Raising



EAA:

Multi-Faith Pre-conference and Networking Zone (IAC2010, Vienna) 

Armenian Apostolic Church:

“GBV and the Christian Value System in Armenian Families” session for clergy • Addressing men’s engagement in anti-GBV movement and the importance of Priests’ work in promoting male involvement 

Religious Affairs Committee:

awareness raising of religious leaders on HIV, reproductive health, STIs, gender issues (Tajikistan)

UNFPA’s Collaboration with FBOs

 Direct funding  Provision of technical support  Service delivery entry point (particularly in context of HIV)  Through collaboration with NGOs  Through collaboration with UNAIDS family