Faith-based reproductive health kit
	Issues surrounding adolescent reproductive and sexual health are often considered ‘taboo’ among different religions and cultures.

UNESCO is increasingly involving religious groups in getting the messages across. A new self-contained training toolkit is currently being developed by UNESCO’s Bangkok Office. “Faith-based Advocacy for Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health in Asia and the Pacific” explores the subject within the context of Asia’s three major religions: Islam, Catholicism and Buddhism. “This is the first time that a training toolkit is being developed that specifically meet the needs of Muslim, Catholic and Buddhist youth,” says Francisco Roque of UNESCO Bangkok. “Engaging cultural partners and faith-based organizations places reproductive rights and service access on the agenda of local communities,” he says. Discussions that were once considered taboo can be moved into the public arena and discussed openly, he adds. The toolkit is part of the Advocacy and Educational Support to Adolescent Reproductive Health, a project that provides information to educationalists working with adolescents and youth in the region. The toolkit has already been reviewed by experts in the three religions and are currently being edited and produced in a limited quantity. “In the next few months we will have them translated into Bahasa Indonesia, Filipino and Thai for trial-testing,” says Roque. The next step is to test the kit with adolescents living in Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. The final product is conceived as a regional training manual that can be adapted as necessary to the specific needs of individual countries in Asia. Contact: Francisco Roque, UNESCO Bangkok E-mail: f.roque@unescobkk.org Website: www.unescobkk.org/arsh