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MAMA is hiring an App Developer/Designer

TERMS OF REFERENCE: App Developer/Designer 

Overview of MAMA Network: 

Mobilizing Activists around Medical Abortion – MAMA – Network is a collaboration of grassroots activists and feminist groups based in Africa. The MAMA Network represents a regional movement of activists working to share evidence-based and stigma-free information about self-managed medical abortion and sexual and reproductive health and rights directly with women on the community level. 

MAMA has around 74 members spread throughout anglophone and francophone Africa and part of our Mandate and strategy is to make most of our services on the go for our members. In a recent discussion, MAMA members pointed out some of the updates they wanted to see in the App, so this ToR is to find an App developer to work with us on providing this support. 

Scope of work: 

  • All new features are implemented and functional. 
  • Issues identified in the testing phase are resolved. 
  • The app is compatible with the latest operating systems and devices. 
  • Security updates are implemented to address potential vulnerabilities. 
  • The App is translated into French. 
  • Performance optimizations are noticeable, and the app runs smoothly. 

Deliverables: 

  • Add MAMA resource materials in the app (Eg. Miso Protocol)  
  • Get the credentials for accessing the app back end and hand it over to the MAMA Coordinator in charge of the app. 
  • Add all MAMA members’ hotline contacts in the app.  
  • Update the previous period cycle  
  • Add notification messages the week ovulation is likely to occur as well as the period start day  
  • Translation of the App into French 

Profile: 

  • Fluency in English (French is an asset)  
  • Experience with App development, updates, and design  

Link here to apply https://our.mamanetwork.org/apps/forms/s/trSbwfXixcJTezoYNYbNSm8B  

Kindly send your portfolio / Resume to coordinator@mamanetwork.org  

Deadline for application is 15th March 2024.  

MAMA is hiring a holistic security coordinator and a communications coordinator

We are hiring!

Please help us promote these roles in your networks & groups

The Holistic Security Coordinator will help us systematically define and manage holistic security in all aspects of our operations, keeping the movement safe. You will plan, coordinate, implement and evaluate initiatives targeting digital, psychosocial and physical security for all MAMA Network member organizations and the Coordination Team.
We are seeking an expert in digital security, who is interested in leading on all aspects of holistic security (including psychosocial and physical) and will oversee consultants in those fields as needed.

All details & how to applyhttps://bit.ly/MAMA-Security

The Communications Coordinator will help us strategically define and amplify MAMA’s brand and voice in the right spaces and networks. 

This role will ensure our work, beliefs and impact are effectively communicated and that we share progressive and bold content with key audiences and communities, while managing and mitigating risks affiliated to our brand. 

Success of this role also means that current and potential allies, partners and donors are excited about MAMA and that our membership is fully updated with opportunities and news in our space.

All details & how to applyhttps://bit.ly/MAMA-Comms

Bilingual (French+English) strong preferred.

Global Candidates with relevant experience in Africa are welcome to apply.

We’re hiring two Program Coordinators!

We are excited to grow our Coordination team.

As you all know, MAMA Network seeks to advance access to SMA across
Africa.
Our Membership is 70+ grassroots activists and feminist groups in 24
countries and our ambition is growing!

The two roles will drive key program areas:
SMA Knowledge & Community Training Coordinator will support member
organizations to share knowledge about SMA at the grassroots.
All details: https://bit.ly/JoinMAMA-Knowledge
Self-Care Access Coordinator will help member organizations define and
implement strategies to close gaps in access to SMA in their countries

All details: https://bit.ly/JoinMAMA-Access

 Both are full-time, remote-working jobs. Bilingual speakers
(French+English) are especially encouraged to apply.

Feel free to share the roles with your groups and networks!

Centre for Social Concern and Development  (CESOCODE) Conducted Pharmacists Advocacy Training 

Pharmacists attending the advocacy Training 

Centre for Social Concern and Development (CESOCODE) is a member of MAMA Network  working to promote access to Safe Managed Abortion in Malawi. With support from MAMA  network, CESOCODE received a grant to conduct Advocacy with Pharmacy and strengthening  Referrals project. 

Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Safe abortion, is a human Rights which women  and girls need to enjoy and access without any challenge. Women and girls who live in rural and  hard to reach areas in Malawi, are continuing facing many challenges to access Safe Abortion  services. With this background, CESOCODE applied funding from MAMA Network to conduct  advocacy project which will bring together different actors like Sexual Reproductive health  providers (pharmacists), Policy makers and community leaders to advocate for availability of 

Safe medical abortion at pharmacy level, Reviewing of abortion policies and laws that hinder  women and girls to easily access SMAs pills and bursting abortion stigma at community level. 

On 9 June 2023, CESOSCODE conducted Pharmacists Advocacy Training which bring together 40  pharmacists to empower them with safe abortion advocacy skills to advocate for accessibility of  SMAs to all women and to partner with us in this project and after the project. 

Participants pose for group photo after the training 

After the training, the participants agreed to develop an advocacy framework and strategy to  address the issue of access to Sexual Reproductive health including SMAs at a country level and  strengthen partnerships to advance the advocacy agenda on these issues.

Our statement on Justyna Wydrzyńska

On 14th March 2023, Human Rights Defender and Abortion Activist Justyna Wydrzyńska was convicted and sentenced for providing abortion pills to a woman who sought to exercise her right to bodily autonomy. In Poland, abortion is legal only when the continuation of pregnancy endangers the woman’s life or health or when the pregnancy results from a criminal act. Although there are no penalties for women for the termination of pregnancy, there are criminal sanctions for persons who assist in the termination of the pregnancy, including medical personnel. 

In Africa and most countries worldwide, women’s and girls’ bodies are subject to politicization and over-policing. Sexual reproductive health and rights are severely curtailed, and activists often work in environments fearing criminal sanctions and political and social recrimination. Persecution and threats of prosecution have created a harsh environment and made it challenging for human rights defenders to support women and girls needing assistance and care.

International human rights instruments have set out the right to the best attainable standards of health, right to dignity, right to privacy, bodily autonomy and integrity and freedom from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment as fundamental inherent and inalienable human rights. The denial of these rights through overt and covert actions of criminalization and over-regulation leads to discrimination and outright human rights violations. 

Access to legal and safe abortion reduces maternal mortality and morbidity and enhances the quality of life for many women and girls. Further, the World Health Organization (WHO) provides that safe and non-invasive method of medical abortions can be self-managed using pills up to the twelfth week of pregnancy. 

Thus, the prosecution and conviction of Human Rights Defender Justyna Wydrzyńska clearly illustrate the challenges facing all persons who support women and girls seeking their right to bodily autonomy. This conviction serves to intimidate and increase angst amongst human rights defenders all over the world. 

We call on leaders and legislators in all states to decriminalize abortion and cease the persecution and prosecution of persons who assist and work towards creation legal structures that facilitate and ensure safe access to sexual and reproductive health care.

MAMA Advocacy Communications ConsultantEOI: Call for Applications 

Introduction to MAMA Network 

Mobilizing Activists around Medical Abortion – MAMA – Network is a collaboration of  grassroots activists and feminist groups based in Sub-Saharan Africa. The MAMA Network  represents a regional movement of activists working to share evidence-based and stigma-free  information about self-managed medical abortion (SMA) and sexual and reproductive health and  rights directly with women on community level. MAMA has over 50 members spread throughout  anglophone and francophone Africa, and after developing its Advocacy Agenda would now like  to strengthen its advocacy strategies.

MAMA Advocacy  

MAMA seeks to focus on the underlying issues surrounding unsafe abortion as it advances its  vision. In so doing, it will also begin to work more systematically at mitigating the opposition and  stigma associated with abortion and add to the systemic changes that will advance reproductive  justice, care, and decriminalization of abortion by addressing the legal, and policy issues  surrounding self-managed abortion. Using advocacy, MAMA seeks to contribute to changing the  situation represented by the statistics above in ways that will bring meaningful change in the access  to full reproductive health of women and pregnant people in Africa where affordable, safe, and  effective self-managed abortion is a key component. 

Communications Consultancy  

In line with the Advocacy strategic plan, this consultancy is aimed at supporting the activities of the MAMA advocacy team and MAMA members towards advocating for SMA in the African  regions. This will be through facilitating MAMA organizations social media initiatives to shift the  needle on SMA narratives in-country and the African region through positive and targeted SMA  messaging.  

Terms of Reference 

The Consultant proposes to fulfil the terms of the consultancy by undertaking the following  activities: – 

1. Support thematic conceptual messaging for MAMA Advocacy. This includes: a. Monitoring regional and international trends, themes and language on SMA to  ensure harmony of messages being generated. 

b. Documenting and analyzing patterns of opposition in the African region to conceive  communications that overcome the negative messaging. These positive messages  can be shared and adopted by MAMA members in their advocacy programs. 

c. Develop themes and messages building up important dates in the regional  international platforms on SMA to share with MAMA members leading up to the  dates 

2. Organizing media outreach: Work with MAMA members to amplify their advocacy work  on media platforms. This includes:

a. Reach out to and work with MAMA members on their advocacy workplans on how  to maximize advocacy messages on their social media platforms and assist with  posting on these platforms. 

b. Conduct online training on how to position advocacy messaging on their social  media platforms. 

c. Support MAMA members monitoring their output and supporting them to have  consistent messages on their social media platforms  

3. Drafts communications and advocacy material for key SRHR dates throughout the year. a. Create a database of key important dates on SRHR focused on Abortion and SMA.  b. Support MAMA members by prompting them and assisting them to post positive  advocacy messaging on key dates  

4. Evaluate results and impact of communications activities; reports on developments, trends  and attitudes regarding SMA 

a. Collect and collate data on trends and changes, from feedback from MAMA  members on the advocacy message and the potential positive impact. 

b. Develop a trends assessment on messaging that is working best and share this with  MAMA members to enable them to facilitate more of this nature of messaging. 5. Anticipate and resolve communications/ public relations issues/problems: a. Support MAMA members to monitor and create media updates on SMA to counter opposition messages on social media. 

6. Social media interaction: Identify SMA Advocacy champions within the social  media/influencer space and link them with MAMA members to work together advance SMA messaging. 

7. Takes the lead in organizing MAMA Advocacy media outreach; arranges all media  contacts, press briefings, and interviews; provides talking points and other materials incase  on press engagements. 

Qualifications of consultant 

1. 2+ years prior experience in a communications role

2. Understand the best practices of main social media channels including Twitter, Facebook,  Instagram, etc 

3. Must possess exceptional writing skills and be able to compose engaging and accurate  content 

4. Strong communicator who works well independently and with a team 

5. Superior time management skills and the ability to juggle multiple projects simultaneously 6. Knowledge of Adobe PhotoShop, InDesign, and Illustrator is an asset 

7. Understanding of communications, public relations best practices 

8. Ability to think strategically and identify ways to improve communication efforts 9. Must be resourceful and take initiative even when given minimal direction 

Timeframe 

The duration of this consultancy will be from March 2023 to June 2023 

Please send in applications to wkareithi@ticahealth.org Deadline for application is 14th February 2023

“Unlocking safe spaces for comprehensive SRHR, safe and legal abortions for women and girls in Sierra Leone

In Sierra Leone, too many women and girls are still suffering under the existing Offences Against the Person Act of 1861 that criminalizes abortion in Sierra Leone, a century before the country won independence from Britain. Previous attempts at reform have failed, including in 2015, when MPs passed an abortion law that would have allowed terminations up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. The bill was blocked by the then president, Ernest Bai Koroma, amid pressure from religious and anti- abortion groups. and as a result, even when a girl or woman was legally eligible for a safe abortion they would opt for an unsafe, backyard abortion. There was a fear of being ostracized, and strong religious beliefs. The Women’s Health and Reproductive Rights Sierra Leone (WHRRO) is implementing several project activities in two districts
(Bombali and Karana) in Northern region. The project activities are funded by International Planned
Parenthood Federation, hosting the Safe Abortion Action Fund (SAAF) and Africa Women’s Development Fund (AWDF). We sought to improve knowledge and support among community leaders, duty bearers and the public for the repeal of the existing Offences Against the Person Act of 1861 which impede access to safe abortion care; improve access to quality safe abortion care and SRHR services and reduce abortion stigma. These activities include value clarification and attitude transformation workshop, community outreach, awareness creation including the use of drama, radio discussions and training of partners in the health sector to address issues of stigma and discrimination associated with abortions in rural communitiesof Sierra Leone.

Engagement with Stakeholders from all sectors

The increased knowledge about SRHR within these targeted communities, opened opportunities to engage and sensitise the cultural and religious stakeholders. In the past, these traditional and religious leaders were not fully supportive of the safe abortion agenda which lead to the previous attempts reform failed in 2015 due to a limited understanding and knowledge which was extremist.

Before some traditional leaders considered the abortion agenda as taboo and thought abortion was negatively impacting the way of life for communities. The continued engagement with these leaders through value clarification attitudes and transformation has resulted in more progressive attitudes on access to abortion and SRHR. At a time when sexual and reproductive health rights for women are either being overturned or threatened, we are proud that there were significant results from the projects funded by SAAFUND and AWDF around the transformation of communities’ attitudes. Targeted Communities were now more accommodating of women and girls who had an abortion, and religious and cultural leaders made a commitment to be non-judgmental and learn more about how they could destigmatize abortion.

September 28 International Safe Abortion Day Community parade

During this year International Safe Abortion Day September 28, we carryout community-to-community parade to address negative social norms surrounding abortion during uncertain times by disseminating facts on the rates of unsafe abortion, the consequences of illegal and unsafe abortion, as well as the benefits of access to legal and safe abortion on an individual and societal level. Finally we’ve seen a noticeable decrease in general stigma towards girls and young women who seek safe abortion services rural communities.

Centre for Social Concern and Development (CESOCODE) Commemorates September 28

C:\Users\chimwaza\Desktop\September 28.jpg

To mark International Safe Abortion Day (ISAD) 2022, Centre for Social Concern and Development (CESOCODE) conducted an activity to advocate for access to safe abortion care. The goal of the activity was to strengthen awareness on the right of women and girls to access safe and legal abortion care in our community. The activity engaged relevant stakeholders such as the pharmacists, health care providers and organizations working in the areas of Reproductive Health. The advocacy campaign meeting carried key messages, highlighting that the decision to seek an abortion belongs to women and girls deepened understand that access to safe abortion is protected as a right and addressing abortion-related stigma by supporting health workers who may currently not feel safe to provide safe abortion care. We are fighting for safe abortion to be accessible and a right for girls and women in our community. The safe abortion decision belongs to the women and the girls and it has to be really informed by the scientific evidence. Access to the highest attainable standard of sexual and reproductive health including safe abortion, is a core human right. The ability to decide if and when to have children, and access to safe, timely, affordable, respectful and person-centered abortion care, including information and post-abortion care, helps to safeguard the health and well-being of women, girls, their families and their communities. Health is a human right, and abortion care is health care. Promoting and protecting access to quality abortion care is essential to achieve a world where everyone is able to access the highest standards of sexual and reproductive health services, and reach their full potential.

GIRLS’ INFORMATIVE OPEN SESSIONSEPTEMBER 28 TH – INTERNATIONAL SAFE ABORTION DAY

Contact Trust Youth Association (CTYA) has worked in Zambia since 1997, focusing on the goal of young people having access to all sexual reproductive health rights, including access to safe abortion. Although abortion is legal in Zambia, the barriers to accessing safe abortion care are disquieting. There is a solid and persistent social stigma surrounding abortion. Very few women know they have the right to safe, legal abortion or know where to seek safe abortion services; as a result, unsafe abortion is a significant problem in Zambia and a major contributor to the high mortality rate. CTYA joined the rest of the organizations and activists worldwide that advocate for the rights of adolescent girls and women to take action and speak out for access to safe and legal abortions. CTYA held a Girls’ Informative open session with 50 girls from 10 different schools within Livingstone District in commemorating International Safe Abortion Day – 28th September, under the Theme “Abortion in Uncertain Times”. In these uncertain times where there are so many barriers to accessing safe abortion, including stigma, discrimination, and hate speech towards abortion, we decided to engage adolescent girls by sensitizing them on the dangers of unsafe abortion and how best they can be avoided. The activity aimed to increase awareness of safe abortion as a reproductive health right and enable a safe, shared. Inclusive space for Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) to gain information and develop an understanding of sexual reproductive health and rights.

The session was highly interactive; girls could ask personal questions concerning abortion, and responses were coming from the girls within the group. The level of confidence in the response was very encouraging and indicated that the girls have been empowered and are now more knowledgeable than before. “I feel you have the right to make a decision that you think is right for you because in the end, you are the one whose life will be affected. But it is also important that, as we make decisions, they should be informed decisions.” (participant). In the past, abortion could not be talked about openly, as it was considered taboo, and the fact that our country was declared a Christian Nation. We introduced Aunty Tasha Helpline as a partner that works with CTYA, where the girls could access or refer their peers in case of any SRHR problem and if they felt they needed someone to talk to but could not share with someone close to them. The day was filled with entertainment and educative activities such as dances, games, question and answer sessions,s and creative art. The girls went away with Aunty Tasha Branded items that included Mug cups, T-shirts, and brochures.

In uncertain times, we commit to being visible and speaking out on women’s rights to access Sexual Reproductive Health services and information without being stigmatized and criminalized.

ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH INFORMATION IS A RIGHT FOR INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND WOMEN LIVING WITH HIV IN NIGERIA

In Nigeria Abortion is legal only when performed in case of rape, or incest and to save a woman’s life. Most women seeking to terminate early pregnancy result in an unsafe way leading to 33% death, 285 unsolved cases leading to mobility, and untold complications in 1000 unsafe abortions in Nigeria. 

The Trust And support foundation with support from MAMA networks with a goal to increase access to quality sexual reproductive health and the right and safe abortion for indigenous/women living with HIV. They trained a total of 70 participants comprised of (41 indigenous/women living with HIV, 19 pharmacists, 10 champions on access to SRHR, and safe abortion age 15-35 years in Nigeria. Before the training 5% knew SMA after a 95% increase in knowledge of SMA, participants demonstrated the use of MA pills for SMA successfully.

 Our training was very vital in helping us reach more than 800 women with an increase in knowledge on safe abortion, Postpartum hemorrhage, and family planning services within 6 months of the project line, indigenous /women living with HIV are able to make an informed decision on their body autonomy, there is a reduction in morbidity and mortality of unsafe abortion and misconception and stigma related to abortion was reduced within communities through stakeholders engaged and SAC 

stakeholders’ capacity was strengthened and they serve as referral building synergy between indigenous/ women and pharmacists on SMA pills. 

The mobility and mortality rate of unsafe abortion can be averted through access to reproductive health information using WHO guidelines for women of reproductive ages. There is also a need to engage more activists on the grass root to harness women’s voices in demanding the removal of any barriers to safe abortion in Nigeria while also advocating relevant stakeholders to legalize abortion and hold the government accountable for any life lost as a result of unsafe abortion.