Sama's Approach and Objectives ...
The usual disease–doctor-drugs approach to health is not sufficient to alleviate the ever declining health situation of the people, especially that of the marginalized and disadvantaged communities. There is a growing need to develop a broader understanding of health and initiate interventions that enable and empower people to have greater control over their physical, social, and political environments, all of which influence their health.
In order to realize this, we seek to:
- Engage with and develop competencies of women by informing them on issues relating to the right to healthcare through training and capacity building.
- Provide adolescent girls with a variety of opportunities for creative self-expression to enhance their self-confidence, and build a positive self-image as women.
- Sensitize men towards women’s issues and motivate them to bring about changes in the unequal relationships and exploitative arrangements relationships in the family and society.
- Acknowledge the collective experience and existing knowledge of women and traditional healers, traditional birth attendants and integrate these in local health practices.
- Conduct action research and document issues critical to women’s health with a gender and ethical ethics’ perspective.
- Undertake advocacy initiatives for health issues to create public awareness and network with organizations and coalitions to build consensus and intervene in policies.
- Provide platform for discussing emerging issues, devising strategies and planning interventions to help address issues at local, regional, national and international levels through workshops, seminars and other programs.