There is high HIV incidence (number of new infections) among adolescents in the general population at 11,026 (11.6%) and the infection rate among girls triples that of the boys in the same age group 15-22 years. . The aim of this project is to build capacity of 200 girls and women in social economic entrepreneurship to reduce their risk to HIV infection.
Women and teenage girls in Uganda carry the face of new HIV infection due to social economic vulnerability factors. Poor women can not decide on the number of children they should have and most times because of poverty, they succumb to sexual exploitation and harassment which expose them to HIV infection, Gender Based Violence and Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) challenges. This is worsened by cultural dominance that encourages men to have multiple, concurrent and cross generational partners
The program aims to increase economic opportunities for women and girls by empowering them to achieve financial independence hence building their capacity to respond to HIV infection, Gender based violence and sexual reproductive health challenges. The project will build the capacity of women to create business opportunities, which will enable them to have income, and be able to make independent choices about their lives.
The project will result into reduced school drop out among girls, reduced teenage pregnancies and early marriages as well as transforming community attitudes and perceptions towards girls and women. This will lead to enhanced where equal opportunities between boys and girls to attain education. In general, the project will result into reduced social economic vulnerability, which makes women prone to HIV infection, domestic violence and reproductive health challenges.
