Reseña

Profamilia, with the support of the Canadian Embassy, will implement during the period 2018 - 2022 an integral social intervention, with the purpose of contribute to empower girls, boys and adolescents (GBA, from now on) in the exercise of their sexual and reproductive rights, as well as the increase of their political and social advocacy capacity through an improved comprehensive sexual education; and, as a final result, it hopes to positively impact the reduction of adolescent pregnancy and gender-based violence. This intervention is aimed at the GBA of eight prioritized municipalities in Colombia: Aracataca, Pivijay (Magdalena), El Carmen de Atrato, Bahía Solano (Chocó), Caloto, Miranda (Cauca), Dibulla and Uribia (La Guajira). The research is structured in three phases over the five years of intervention. The first is the construction of the Baseline in order to have a diagnosis and starting point for building the indicators (1 st year). The second is a mid-term evaluation to assess the progress and impact of the strategies (3 rd year). The last phases an evaluation of the impact of the intervention (5 th year). This research is aligned with the achievements of the Canadian Feminist International Assistance Policy, the Official Development Assistance Accountability Act, the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Strategy for Women, Girls, Boys and Adolescents, the priority goals of the Montevideo Consensus, the 2012-2021 Ten-Year Public Health Plan and the National Policy on Sexuality and Sexual Rights and Reproductive Rights. In particular, with regard to the promotion of access to sexual and reproductive health services, comprehensive sexual education and the elimination of all forms of gender-based violence in all population groups, especially in GBA. This document correspond to the first phase of the research, carried out between October 2018 and March 2019: Baseline of the intervention at the Valiente’s GBA Cohort Study. During this first phase the initial examination of the general situation, the usual conditions and characteristics of growing GBA and tracer indicators was developed. In this way, it will be possible to direct actions and focus the design strategies (Investiparty, Proyéctate, Enparche and Contagiarte) during the five years of follow-up in the eight municipalities prioritized in the intervention. This first phase of the research was the result of quantitative and qualitative research approaches. Through the Survey of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP), focus groups, in-depth interviews and ethnographic observations, it was possible to have a deep and individual data of the GBA and their contexts. The Valiente’s Baseline document is structured in four chapters. The first one presents the need for the research joined by scientific evidence on the magnitude of the problem and the urgent needs to take action. The second presents the objectives and methodological approach of the research, as well as ethical and gender considerations. The third shows the results based on the information collected, through a combination of quantitative and qualitative tools. Finally, the fourth one, presents the general considerations needed to guide the pedagogical strategies in order to reduce adolescent pregnancy, gender-based violence, gender stereotypes and increase empowerment around social advocacy during the execution of the project. Cohort Study of Valiente Girls and Boys 4 Baseline Report Acknowledgements Both, Profamilia and the Canadian Embassy, would like to thank the GBA, parents, caregivers, school principals, coordinators and teachers of the schools; the municipal mayors and communities where the GBA reside, who agreed to participate in this first phase of the Valiente’s research, and who contributed with their valuable time, sharing their stories, points of view, interests, needs and expectations during the application of the survey in classrooms, homes and schools, as well as during focus groups and in-depth interviews in each of the eight municipalities of the intervention. Special thanks to the different local governments, health professionals, communities but in particular the teachers, who facilitate the implementation of the survey with the proposed methodology, summoning GBA and sharing time of their scholar agenda during this busy scholar period. Also, thanks to Profamilia's clinics in Riohacha, Santa Marta, Quibdo, Popayan and Bogotá (General Direction) that contributed with key political advocacy work at the local level, and the efficient logistic, administrative, financial and contractual support, which facilitated the activities of the field work teams to accomplish the schedule. In the same way, the Profamilia’s Professionals team and the Canadian Embassy officers in Colombia who supported during the stage of recognition of the territory, mapping of actors and socialization of the intervention to the local authorities. Last but not least, our most sincere thanks to the 28 people who developed a great job looking for GBA in schools and their homes, as well as to the people responsible for typing the contents of the survey. Special thanks to Maria Paula Calvo at the Canadian Embassy, for her guidance and methodological clarifications that were critical to ensure that this local intervention will have a global impact. The research was supported by the Canadian Embassy in Colombia. This work is the result for the collaboration between the Canadian Government and Profamilia - Colombia.