Girls Decide: Nomvelo's journey, Swaziland

On 16 February, IPPF launched Girls Decide at the first screening of the Girls Decide film series. The films and publications are part of a larger initiative that aims to highlight the centrality of girls’ and young women’s sexual and reproductive lives for both individual and global development, and aims to ensure that girls’ and young women’s sexuality and pregnancy-related issues are effectively addressed by adopting policies and practices that work for girls.

The Girls Decide films share the stories of six girls from around the world in their journeys to make informed decisions about sex, pregnancy, abortion and relationships. They show how Member Associations of IPPF fulfil their commitment to young people’s sexual and reproductive rights through the provision of quality youth-friendly services.

The films are all based on true stories and were developed through a participatory process with young women from each of the six countries. The main characters are portrayed by actors. All interviewees are practising health professionals and community leaders.

One film shares the story of a girl in Swaziland. Nomvelo was born with HIV and she is interested in taking her relationship with her boyfriend further, but does not feel confident about how to talk to him about her HIV status. The Family Life Association of Swaziland, an IPPF Member Association, provides support to girls and young women living with HIV to lead positive and healthy lives.

IPPF believes that all girls and young women living with HIV have the right to experience their sexuality in healthy and positive ways. They also have the right to date, to be in relationships, to marry, to access sexual and reproductive health services and information, to have children and to decide if, how and when to disclose their HIV status.

To see the other films and for further information on the Girls Decide initiative: http://www.ippf.org/en/What-we-do/Adolescents/Girls+Decide.htm