Rather than focus solely on the "supply" side - that is, offering clinics provider-focussed training, equipment, or contraceptive supplies - Stronger Voices takes a patient- or client-centred approach to improving women's reproductive and sexual health. A central premise is that if clients are treated with respect and their particular needs are taken into account, they will use services more often and gain confidence in their ability to understand their own reproductive health. According to organisers, this means empowering women to demand quality reproductive health services, which are defined as safe, effective, appropriate, affordable, culturally acceptable, and responsive to local needs and concerns.

Knowledge of reproductive health and rights, this approach holds, enables women to make informed decisions regarding their sexual and reproductive health. To that end, the initiative aims to enable women to better articulate their reproductive needs and rights through the establishment of community-based mechanisms that give them a stronger voice. It also encourages women's groups to interact with providers so that the perspectives and experiences of each party may be recognised and respected.

In the first phase of the project, which was completed in Spring 2003, organisers identified partners, built consensus, and engaged in strategic national planning. Throughout this participatory process, the 6 participating countries experimented with mechanisms that might enable communities to influence the quality of reproductive health care, such as community mobilisation and advocacy strategies, savings and credit programmes, and micro-insurance schemes. To cite just one example, in Gujarat (India), the project's main thrust will be to improve women's access to quality maternal health care. The union Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) will lead awareness efforts among its members about the benefits of good health during pregnancy, so as to increase demand for quality maternal health care. SEWA members, who participate in the organisation's health insurance scheme, will identify providers who are good health care performers and recommend them to other members. Providers in the private sector will be oriented on service quality issues in order to meet increased demand. Click here for additional country-specific project details.

During Phase II, the pilot projects will be implemented on a wider scale within the initial 6 countries and will possibly expand to others.

Women, Reproductive and Sexual Health, Rights.

Organisers were motivated by the work and rationale for action outlined as part of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).