Speaking during the “African Voices: Shaping a New SRHR Narrative through Technology” session, the panellists and participants underscored how young people are using the internet to dismantle long-standing barriers to SRHR access.

The session held during the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) Forum in Cape Town, spotlighted the immense potential of Africa’s young people.

With 77% of Africa’s population under the age of 35, the continent’s young people are a powerful force for change, uniquely positioned to drive SRHR transformation.

The side event, hosted by Brands on a Mission (BoaM) as part of its African Voices initiative, observed that far from being passive recipients, today’s young people are asserting themselves as discerning consumers of SRHR services, demanding solutions that are responsive to their preferences, experiences, and realities.

By leveraging these technologies, young people are driving conversations that are deeply relevant to their lives, and actively shaping and influencing public health narratives, helping to dismantle cultural stigmas and expand access to vital SRHR services across the continent.

Professor Myriam Sidibe, Founder and Chief Mission Officer, at Brands on a Mission, stressed the need for African young people to be central in shaping SRHR solutions.

“The young voices that we heard today are the voices we need to keep listening to in our homes, communities and online. Young people are communication experts shaping our stories and Africa’s future, we need to meet them where they are at and expand on their potential. There has been so much hope and excitement expressed today on how emerging technologies can unlock innovation and impact for SRHR and Gender Based Violence(GBV) on the African continent”, she said.

Angella Summer Namubiru, a Ugandan media personality and digital content creator with over six million followers on TikTok, highlighted the pivotal role of social media in amplifying young people-driven SRHR advocacy saying, “Technology gives young people a chance to share their stories, learn about sexual and reproductive health, and create ways to earn money. When young people have these opportunities, they can make better choices for their lives and health without being forced into situations they do not want.

Fatima Carvalho, co-founder of Cape Verde-based Eco-Feminism Movement(Cabo Verde Ecofeminism Movement), highlighted the need to integrate traditional practices with technological advancements to make SRHR interventions more effective:

“I believe that the most effective SRHR interventions lie at the intersection of tradition and innovation. By combining the wisdom of our ancestors with modern technology, we can create holistic solutions that are both culturally relevant and forward-thinking, ensuring that no one is left behind in the fight for reproductive rights and gender equality”

Dr. Mercy Nhamo-Murire, deputy chief impact officer at Tiko, underscored the vital role technology can play in removing social and financial barriers to care, ultimately empowering girls as agents in their sexual and reproductive health journey.

“Adolescent girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa are faced with the interconnected triple threat of teenage pregnancy, HIV infection and sexual violence. Technology and real-time data are proving powerfully effective in unlocking community-based, girl-centred solutions to combat this threat, enabling girls to access integrated, safe and stigma-free health services that work holistically within delicate local contexts to meet their evolving needs.”

Kris Lemon, senior monitoring evaluation research and learning associate at Reach Digital Health, complemented, speaking on the necessity of making these technologies accessible to marginalised communities:

“Where technologies are developed to facilitate people’s goals, evidence increasingly shows that digital technologies offer particular benefits to young people pursuing their sexual and reproductive health aims. Mobile platforms allow users to access a world of educational, motivational, and supportive content, at low cost and anonymously, with AI increasing the match between content and users’ individual needs.”

Ndiilokelwa Nthengwe, executive director of the Voices for Choices and Rights Coalition, highlighted the importance of diverse leadership in shaping the future of SRHR.

She stated,

“The future of technology is evolving much quicker than the representation of accountable leadership. We, African women in all our diversity, need to remain cognizant of this reality as we grow into positions of influence and leadership.”

The session, part of the broader SVRI Forum agenda, aimed to strengthen partnerships and foster new collaborations between African influencers, civil society organisations, and technology-driven NGOs. It called for the creation of safe and stigma-free digital spaces where young people can access and shape relevant SRHR content.

Health systems in Sub-Saharan Africa are failing to meet the needs of adolescent girls and young women: the prevalence of unwanted and unintended pregnancies among this population is at 30 per cent whereas a  further 20 percent involuntarily give birth before their 20th birthday.

But the big question remains, despite all the massive investments in women and girl’s health over the past 20 years coupled by deliberate pro-adolescent campaigns, why does it feel like the path is getting harder and that we are being forced to retrace our steps? How can we change the trajectory of Women and Girls’ health in Africa?

It is heartening that during the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York, governments and philanthropies committed approximately $350 million USD in new investments to expand access to family planning and sexual and reproductive health services.

This is a key milestone since by 2030, African adolescents will make up over 24 percent of the global youth population. Presently, the lives lost and at risk are in the millions with most lives lost being women and girls.

The future is not promising as the immediate geo-political shifts and the rising dangers of climate change and its disproportionate effect on women and girls in low and middle-income countries are fast deteriorating.

Against these ever-evolving dynamics, and competing public health challenges, governments are overstretched and overburdened.

However, the organisations and businesses who operate in the communities in which these African adolescent girls live are strongly positioned to complement government services and ensure that the health and wellbeing of this significant segment – the future of our societies isn’t neglected.

There is an urgent need and opportunity to focus on girl-centered, innovative financing models, such as blended or outcomes-based financing as implemented in Ethiopia and Kenya by Tiko.

To do this, we need to incentivise and motivate new players to enter the space, to convince them that SRHR is not only good for health outcomes but is also good for business. We know this approach works from our experiences at Brands on a Mission which leveraged multi-sector platforms in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

We know that no issue can be solved alone and that there is no single panacea to fix this.

But there is room for everyone – and we need everyone – as the issue is too big to do it alone.

First, the world must build multi-sectoral teams of committed collaborators drawn from the public and private spheres that can be incentivised to finance impact investment initiatives that address these issues for adolescent girls.

Secondly, we need to form bold new coalitions through transformative partnerships that are rooted in a shared mission that transcends the boundaries of any single organisation, public or private, to drive systems change whereby adolescents’ SRHR is everybody’s business.

Thirdly, we need to inculcate new social norms that speak on the issues and barriers that adolescent girls face, and influence change of perceptions on how businesses can effectively and sustainably contribute to SRHR outcomes.

Fourthly, let us move beyond traditional boundaries and dare to collaborate in new and unexpected ways to develop the type of platforms or coalitions that will allow private, public and social sectors to join forces and scale up innovative financing models that will secure the future of SRHR for African communities.

Lastly, we call upon you – businesses, industry leaders, funders, donors, governments, civil society – to collectively commit to develop, invest and implement new innovative financing and partnerships models that catalyse and enable sustained financing for SRHR in Sub-Saharan Africa. We need to protect our African societies – and most of all our adolescent girls – so that they can flourish and thrive and fully live out their hopes, desires and dreams.

*Professor Sidibe is the founder and Chief Mission Officer, Brands on a Mission and Serah Malaba is the Chief Impact Officer, Tiko.