‘HOPEGIRL INITIATIVE’

This initiative aims are reaching young girls and women in ‘sex work’ and supporting them to reconsider alternative lifestyles. This initiative endeavours to get to the bottom of each girl’s vulnerability, understand drivers to sex work and engage the young girls and women themselves to pursue desirable and productive lifestyles. Services offered include: behavioural interventions, education on reproductive health, information on prevention of HIV, other Sexually Transmitted Infections and unintended pregnancies, protection and linkage to legal services, linkage and referral to appropriate health services, educational materials support, and economic empowerment and linkage to markets. Identified sex workers will be empowered to reach out to their own and bring in social change. Young girls and women targeted will be drawn from all communities, churches, schools, and colleges. HOPEGirl Initiative will also provide open spaces for young girls and women to dialogue around this sensitive issue, bring in reputable role models to engage with the girls and also involve all other relevant state and non-state stakeholders for broader conversation on this issue.