Aspirations versus Reality: Exploring Factors Affecting Meaningful Youth Participation in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Programme in Rural Kenya
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Date
2021
Authors
Evelia, Humphres
Ndayala, Phoebe
Page, Anna
Wafula, Charles O
Westeneng, Judith
Kuya, Johnstone
Chesire, Faith
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
East African Nature and Science Organization
Abstract
This paper presents the results of an implementation research of a pilot
intervention, mainstreaming meaningful youth participation in a health care
management system in Western Kenya with the aim to address adolescent
sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). This qualitative case study
included 29 key informant interviews and 13 focus group discussions
conducted in five community health units across four counties. The results
demonstrate positive attitudes towards the principle of youth participation, yet,
also a mismatch between the aspirations of young people to be active decisionmaking agents and the actual roles and responsibilities assigned to them. This
paper further identifies factors that inhibit and enable effective youth
participation at multiple levels; individual (such as education, discipline,
migration, gender); organisational (such as guidelines and structures, financial
support, and political interference) and societal (norms seeing SRHR as taboo
and young people as unequal to adults), and formulates recommendations to
address these.
Description
Article
Keywords
Meaningful Youth Participation, Adolescent Sexual, Reproductive Health, Rights, Youth Involvement, Implementation Research, Kenya, Community Health Strategy
Citation
Evelia, H., Ndayala, P., Page, A., Wafula, C. O., Westeneng, J., Kuya, J., & Chesire, F. (2021). Aspirations versus Reality: Exploring Factors Affecting Meaningful Youth Participation in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Programme in Rural Kenya. East African Journal of Health and Science, 3(1), 31-44.