REACHING
THE CLIMAX FOREPLAY Why female condoms? TOP MOVES What did we do? CLIMAXES What did we achieve? MINGLE How can we continue and expand?
G LOOKIANND K C A B RD FORWA
Hi there! For those who don’t know me yet, my name is Zawadi Smartlove. I’m the (extremely cute) face of the global movement for advancing access to female condoms.
FOREP
LAY
Mentioning female condoms may lead to some giggles, but they are serious business. If you want women to have the power to protect themselves against unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, female condoms provide a golden opportunity. Unfortunately, female condoms found themselves in a negative vicious circle. They’re not known because they’re not available, and they’re not available because they’re not known. The UAFC programme took the challenge to make them both known and available. This booklet summarizes our methods (‘top moves’) and achievements (‘climaxes’).
The programme has stopped, but not our ambitions. We desire to build upon our successes and lessons learnt to get female condoms where they should be: on the shelves, in every corner of the world. Moreover, we aim to expand our approach to other promising but undervalued lifesaving commodities, such as emergency contraceptive pills and medical abortion. When these products also become available for everyone, women really have a choice in controlling their body and life. We say: don’t reinvent the wheel, use the wheels that are already up for grabs. Will you support and join our serious business? Together, we can reach the climax.
Universal Access to Female Condoms (UAFC) Joint Programme 2012-2015 (PHASE II)
AMME PROGR IEW R E OV V
CAUSE Unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, are still ruining millions of lives. Female condoms provide complete protection and give women more control over safe sex. Nonetheless, most people do not have access to them.
GOAL Increase the worldwide access to female condoms by making them more known, more available and more affordable.
APPROACH UAFC applied a 3-way approach: 1 TECHNICAL SUPPORT Provision of support to social marketing organisations in distributing female condoms and to manufacturers in getting their product on the market. 2 ADVOCACY Advocacy towards UN institutions, governments and donors to enhance the political and financial support for female condoms. 3
COUNTRY PROGRAMMES IN CAMEROON, MOZAMBIQUE AND NIGERIA Technical support and advocacy on country level, distribution of female condoms and education of communities on female condoms.
JOINT FORCES UAFC was a collaboration between i+solutions (expertise: technical support), Rutgers (expertise: advocacy), Oxfam Novib (expertise: programming) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. The country programmes were implemented by local partners. Cameroon ACMS and FESADE. Mozambique Fรณrum Mulher and Pathfinder International. Nigeria SFH, ARFH and EVA. DONORS Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Sida, Hewlett Foundation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, Oxfam Novib and UNFPA.
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WOMAN’S CONDOM
PAPER DOLL CAMPAIGN TOP MOVE
#1
To convince policy makers to invest in female condoms, we aimed to show them the demand for these products. We created paper dolls, which would be signed by people from all over the world who desire access to female condoms. Result: a chain of 20.000 signed paper dolls at the International Aids Conference in 2012. The paper doll concept is still being used by female condom advocates worldwide to support their call for increased access. The main paper doll character, Zawadi Smartlove, became the acknowledged mascot of the female condom movement.
GLOBAL FEMALE #2 CONDOM CONFERENCE TOP MOVE
Worldwide, hundreds of professionals deal with female condoms. All have their own expertise and point of view: policy makers, manufacturers, product developers, advocates, social marketers, researchers, and so on.
We brought them together at the Global Female Condom Conference 2015 in Durban to explore and strategize ways to move forward. 150 participants wrote down their commitment to advance the accessibility, affordability and variety of female condoms.
HAIRDRESSERS CAMEROON
TOP MOVE
#3
To promote female condoms in Cameroon, we made use of a surprising group of professionals: hairdressers. They were trained to educate their (mostly female) clients on the benefits of female condoms and how to introduce them in their relationship. The informal and confidential atmosphere of hair salons proved to be a highly effective setting to sensitize people on female condoms.
SUPPORTING MANUFACTURERS TOP MOVE
#4
To lower the price of female condoms, we aspired to increase the competition on the market. Therefore, we supported manufacturers to get their design prequalified by WHO and UNFPA, which is vital for procurement by international donors.
Thanks to this support, the number of prequalified female condoms expanded from one to four. For this collaboration with manufactures, UAFC received the Public-Private-Partnership Award from the Dutch government in 2014.
TOP MOVE
#5
INTERNATIONAL ADVOCACY PLATFORM FOR FEMALE CONDOMS
Pleaders for female condoms are everywhere, from New Zealand to Venezuela. To join forces and learn from each other’s experiences, we set up the International Advocacy Platform for Female Condoms. The (nearly 200)
members collaborated in many events, such as the annual Global Female Condom Day on 16 September. For the 2014 edition, the Platform held a series of dance flash mobs around the world to draw attention to our cause.
“To gain a good share of the market, all elements need to be worked on: a good product, good instructions, price reduction and better availability.” LAMBERT GRIJNS, DUTCH AMBASSADOR FOR SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS & HIV/AIDS
“Female condoms are very important. They are the only dual protection method women can administer, which empowers them hugely.” RENEE VAN DE WEERDT, TECHNICAL ADVISOR REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AT UNFPA
“The multi-faceted strategy of advocacy and technical support has been important as female condoms need a broad approach.” MAGS BEKSINSKA, RESEARCH DIRECTOR AT MATCH RESEARCH, SOUTH-AFRICA
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
CLIMA
#1
X
UAFC supported female condom manufacturers in developing, testing and marketing their product. Besides, we trained social marketing organisations to improve their distribution system for female condoms.
TOP 3 TECHNICAL SUPPORT CLIMAXES
1 3 additional female condom products (Cupid, Woman’s Condom and Velvet) got prequalified by WHO and UNFPA, making them eligible for international procurement.
2 The distribution system for female condoms in Mozambique was significantly improved by an assessment of the supply chain management.
3 The Cupid female condom was introduced on the market in Cameroon next to the FC2 female condom, creating more choice for consumers.
UAFC aimed to increase the political and financial support for female condoms. We approached and informed policy makers and other influential parties, and participated in relevant international coalitions, working groups and conferences.
TOP 3 ADVOCACY CLIMAXES
1 The United Nations Commission on Life-Saving Commodities added female condoms to the list of 13 essential commodities to save women’s lives.
2 The government of Cameroon allocated a budget specifically for the purchase and distribution of female condoms.
3 The government of Nigeria co-organised the national commemoration of Global Female Condom Day.
ADVOCACY
X
CLIMA
#2
COUNTRY PROGRAMMES CLIMAX
#3
In Cameroon, Mozambique and Nigeria, our partners sold or handed out female condoms and promoted female condoms to policy makers and the general audience.
CLIMAXES MOZAMBIQUE
41,384
female condoms sold (Cupid)
657,233
female condoms handed out (FC2 and Cupid)
AND
24,278 PEOPLE EDUCATED ON THE BENEFITS AND USE OF FEMALE CONDOMS 296 PEOPLE TRAINED TO PROMOTE FEMALE CONDOMS 26 OUTLETS CREATED
Nigeria Cameroon
CLIMAXES CAMEROON
3,934,074 female condoms sold (FC2 and Cupid)
234,235
Mozambique
CLIMAXES NIGERIA
2,065,896
female condoms sold (FC2)
960,407
female condoms handed out (FC2 and Cupid)
female condoms handed out (FC2)
AND
AND
1,416,888 PEOPLE EDUCATED ON THE BENEFITS AND USE OF FEMALE CONDOMS
2,348,352 PEOPLE EDUCATED ON THE BENEFITS AND USE OF FEMALE CONDOMS
1,167 PEOPLE TRAINED TO PROMOTE FEMALE CONDOMS
1,044 PEOPLE TRAINED TO PROMOTE FEMALE CONDOMS
2,549 OUTLETS CREATED
511 OUTLETS CREATED
“We need to invest as much in female condoms as we have done in male condoms to place them where they supposed to be.” ROWLANDS KAOTCHA, COUNTRY DIRECTOR AT THE HUNGER PROJECT, MALAWI
“Female condoms are now considered as one of the acceptable lifesaving commodities in Nigeria. That is all thanks to UAFC.” KEHINDE OSINOWO, DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMES AT ARFH, NIGERIA
“Introducing the female condom to my girlfriend really spiced up our romance and increased our love.” AYOZIE, FEMALE CONDOM USER IN NIGERIA
HAPPY USER
“WE DO NOT QUARREL OVER SEX ANYMORE” FUNMILAYO, 29 YEARS OLD, LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA
“I am a highly fertile lady and a young mother of four children. I have had my share of concerns about going through pregnancy without giving my body appropriate time to rest. One day a family planning educator came to my hairdressing salon to talk about female condoms. She patiently taught us how to use it. That night, my husband agreed to test a female condom… We have been using female condoms ever since.
Female condoms are very good. There are no side effects, as was the case when I was using pills. I am not worried anymore about getting pregnant. The best thing for me is that I actually really enjoy sex more with a female condom. I am more confident. My husband is more loving towards me since we do not quarrel over sex anymore. He is also more generous with financing the family’s upkeep.”
FEMALE CONDOM LIBRARY UAFC developed many materials to support its objectives. Here you can see a brief selection. These and many more publications are available on femalecondoms4all.org.
LEARN MORE
Female Condom Market Intelligence portal: www.fcmi.org Website with up-to-date information on all quality-assured female condom designs.
End of Term Evaluation UAFC The complete evaluation report of UAFC, containing all the best practices and lessons learnt from the programme. The Advocacy Toolkit Online tips and tools to convince policy makers of the importance of advancing access to female condoms, including a step-by-step plan, inspiring practices and videos on how to demonstrate female condoms.
The Implementation Guide Guide to make the female condom programming by your organization a success.
End of Term Evaluation of the UAFC Joint Programme Phase II
Evaluation report ACE Europe/Context International October 2015
Making female condoms available and accessible
A guide on implementing female condom programs
The Business Case for Female Condoms Study by Global Health Visions that shows the value of investing in female condoms. An enjoyable animation summarizes the report in two minutes.
The Business Case For Female Condoms
Prepared by Sarah Thurston and Anna Forbes, Global Health Visions May 2014
CONTINUE AND EXPAND TO EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTIVE PILLS AND MEDICAL ABORTION?
E
MINGL
NOT YET DONE UAFC paved the way for universal access to female condoms. More female condom products entered the global market and many communities are now aware and convinced of their benefits. But the road is not yet completed. If the attention to this protection method comes to a standstill, the investments and efforts made so far might go to waste. Instead, we should continue and expand. MORE CHOICE, MORE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH The UAFC approach offers great opportunities for other underutilized lifesaving commodities. Emergency contraceptive pills and medical abortion face similar advantages and
barriers as female condoms. They can provide people more effective options in safeguarding their reproductive health. However, this potential is being blocked by a lack of supply, public awareness and political commitment. MAKING A DIFFERENCE Rutgers and i+solutions strongly believe that their unique combination of advocacy and technical support has made and will make a difference for millions of people worldwide. Are you interested in our plans to continue and expand? Please contact Yvonne Bogaarts (y.bogaarts@rutgers.nl) and Luuk Jan Boon (ljboon@iplussolutions.org).
“After talking to my clients there are always some that buy female condoms to try, and many of them come back to buy more.” ISABELLE, HAIRDRESSER IN CAMEROON
“I am proud of UAFC being able to turn women and men into female condom users against the odds of those saying they are not socially or culturally accepted.” ESTRELLA ALCALDE, PROJECT DIRECTOR AT PATHFINDER INTERNATIONAL, MOZAMBIQUE
Looking back and forward to the Universal Access to Female Condoms (UAFC) Joint Programme FEMALECONDOMS4ALL.ORG