It’s quite painful and amazing to discover how many of the most important concepts and projects in our world fail simply because of lack of proper communication. Let’s take the case of Family planning for instance; the basic truth is that it’s not difficult to rightly point out the benefits of family planning as it is to properly communicate its importance to all that it concern. And that’s where the bulk of the work of advocacy lies; the ability to communicate great ideas by breaking them into ways where the average person can understand, into small bits that the illiterate can conceptualize. That’s the big deal!
It’s erroneous when sexual and reproductive health right advocate think that once an idea is fine it will sell, it will fly, it will be widely accepted or that it will be appreciated. It might be ok to think like that amongst intellectuals, but when we clearly realize that an issue like family planning affects everyone, and that its importance in the lives of women is enormous, then, we can easily realize why we need to dedicate more time and effort into communication strategies that would help everyone embrace its essence.
Family planning helps to preserve the lives of women and children; it helps to preserve their health, too. It helps to prevent untimely and unwanted pregnancies, which in turn will reduce the risk of unsafe abortion. We need to start looking for new ways and also engaging new tools to drive home this simple but singular message. We might have to target a woman at a time approach, while we don’t neglect the various existing approach that are actually yielding result. This message has the potency to make a woman’s live more fulfilling, healthy and interesting. All it involves is getting the understanding and then apply it. Unfortunately, passing the message in the way it would be perfectly understood has remained a huge challenge.
We need to help more women see from the perspective that taking the decision to properly space their children will result into a better life for them. It’s also important to let women know that family planning is their right, and the beauty of a right is exercising it. It is essential that we make women understand that they have a right to confidentiality and privacy as regards their choice of contraceptives.
There also has to be socio-cultural involvement in the communication approach. Sexual right and reproductive health advocate should be trained to properly include culturally sensitive and unbiased methods of communication, so as to encourage open interaction. Because the means of communication that is more important is that of the receiver and not the transmitter. Apart from language barrier, for effective communication to be achieved, it’s also essential that family planning programs bear in mind religious and ethical values, including cultural beliefs as well. When all these aspects are put into perspective, it helps to come up with a smart and rewarding communication approach that his fully aware of existing beliefs.
Till date, family planning methods are commonly used by women. Therefore they need to be empowered to communicate this importance to their spouses once they have been fully intimated with the benefits that it provides. Men should not be left out in the communication process, too. It takes two to have sex and bring forth a child in the proper sense of it. Therefore, men should be involved in every process along the line. Men should take an active and informed role. With proper communication it can be achieved, so decisions can be jointly taken by both partners.
Research has shown that interposal communication is an important variable in family planning behaviour, both in developed and developing nations. Like a researcher named Green rightly expressed “One of the major barriers to diffusion of action associated knowledge about family planning is the lack of communication between spouses”
For effective communication to take place, it’s critical that educators be trained with skills like listening, because the most important part of communication is listening. Other skills like clarity and encouraging clients to express their mind is also of high importance, including the ability to make illustrations, telling stories to drive home major points.
In conclusion, we must always bear in mind that the two most important reasons why we must communicate the importance of family planning is because we need to inform people of the existence of family planning methods and services, so as to increase usage. The other main objective is to educate people on the proper use of methods so as to encourage proper and continuous use of the chosen methods.
P.S This piece was first published on the African Union Website CARMMA
