Rabia Saad: Taking Action to Challenge Harmful Gender Norms
Rabia: Thanks for inviting me here, Spiffy! Action Girls Foundation (AGF) works to promote adolescent awareness of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). An estimated 1.7 million youth lose their lives due to pregnancy-related complications and violence. In Tanzania, young girls face significant SRHR challenges such as limited access to youth-friendly services including information on bodily autonomy and comprehensive sexuality education. This has led to risky sexual behaviors resulting in sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV prevalence, early pregnancy and marriages, gender-based violence, and deaths. By addressing these issues, Action Girls Foundation creates sexual and reproductive health and rights champions both in school and community settings.