PREVENTING AND EXPANDING ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
On 3 – 5th October 2016 a 4-day interactive workshop on Reducing Unsafe Abortion and Expanding Access to Reproductive Health and Safe Choice was conducted in Lagos, Nigeria. The goal of the workshop was Expanding Access to Reproductive Health Service, Improving Harm Reduction Strategies for the Coalition’s Work on Community Empowerment to Reduce Unsafe Abortion, and Increasing Knowledge on Medical Protocols. The objectives are to improve strategies for coalition’s work. Reduce problems and threats of the coalition and Increase knowledge on medical protocols. 39 participants were present (including the media manager and the operations manager) and 2 facilitators. 35 participant’s represents 12 Coalition member organizations and two GIWYN staff) participated in the training. Participants were trained on harm reduction strategies a, community empowerment initiatives to expand knowledge about and accessibility of safe abortion methods, in particular medical abortion (misoprostol alone and mifepristone and misoprostol) to empower women to learn about their bodies and take control of their reproductive lives, in order to reduce the dangers and risks associated with unsafe abortion. Local Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights advocates were trained on abortion stigma, advocacy for legal change, ethical issues and human rights related to safe/unsafe abortion practices. Access to information and health options were be expanded through taskshifting and involving lay activists and coalition strengthening. The workshop was based on a Train the Trainer model. The learning methods included: Values clarification exercises, didactic presentations of reproductive health information, and discussions. A key component of the training was role-play (to memorize misoprostol protocols, learn how to convey this information to others.