In the southern region of Angola, farmlands lie desolate; grazing animals have been replaced by decaying corpses, hunger is normal and thousands have moved from their homes to survive. The worst drought in four decades has destroyed 40 per cent of the region’s crops. Already, prone to cyclical droughts and floods, intensifying climate impacts have affected rainfall, prolonging the dry season and interrupting food production.

UNFPA responded to the humanitarian situation (cyclical drought) in the Southern provinces of Angola enabled by two key partnerships. Through a World Bank loan to the Government of Angola, administered by the Angolan Ministry of Health (MINSA), UNFPA purchased and distributed 50,000 dignity kits in Huila, Cunene, Namibe and Cuando-Cubango – the worst-affected provinces. At the same time, under the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), UNFPA reached over 143 000 people affected by the drought. The response included the distribution of 25,500 dignity kits to women and girls of reproductive age, 113 337 clean delivery kits to pregnant women and girls, and 60 birth attendant kits in health units. These kits are used for various procedures including births, treating sexually transmitted infections (STI) and treating sexual violations. To ensure an integrated humanitarian response, 780 community awareness sessions were held combining vital information on SRHR and GBV prevention. Notably, 5000 men and boys received key messages on GBV and SRHR-related issues.

Over the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic increased the vulnerability of marginalized populations and made it even more challenging to deliver essential SRH services. For young people, limited access to SRH services results in the unmet need for contraception leading to unwanted pregnancies and drives up the number of unsafe abortions and sexually transmitted infections. The adolescent birth rate for Angola is among the highest in the East and Southern Africa region at 163 live births per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19 years; and while COVID-19 may have overshadowed the HIV epidemic, young people - especially adolescent girls and young women - account for 30 per cent of new infections.

To maintain sexual and reproductive health in drought-affected areas, from August to November 2021, UNFPA in partnership with the World Bank and the Angolan Ministry of Health (MINSA) provided over 41,000 women and girls in 22 municipalities across four provinces (Cuando-Cubango, Cunene, Huíla and Namibe) with the Minimum Initial Services Package (MISP). MISP services include family planning, antenatal consultations, care for normal and complicated births and care for sick newborns. In addition to the distribution of dignity kits, community engagement activities took place that focused on early pregnancy and HIV/ STI prevention. The importance of antenatal care and institutional deliveries were also disseminated during the community activities.

Angola’s population is young. The most recent population data shows that 65.9 per cent are under 25 years of age while 46.4 per cent are under 15 years. To equip young people to make informed and positive sexual and reproductive health choices, the Angolan Government established the Informed, Responsible and Organized Youth Program (JIRO) in 1997.

In 2021, the JIRO Programme was expanded to 18 Provinces by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. Between January and April 2021, 101 activists were trained and the JIRO program reached 56,792 young people across the country. By the end of the year, more than 100,000 adolescents and young people were reached with key messages on sexual and reproductive health, family planning, gender-based violence, HIV-AIDS, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and COVID-19. Realising the importance of consistent engagement with youth to bolster healthy choices, the Ministry of Youth and Sports in partnership with UNFPA and UNICEF, has also invested in mobile apps and technology including the SMS-Jovem/U-Report. The digital platform reaches young people and adolescents with life-saving information, to enable them to realize their sexual and reproductive health and rights.

During the pandemic in 2020, vulnerable women and girls faced constraints in accessing affordable menstrual products, with food being prioritized in the family budget. In this fragile context, UNFPA partnered with BeGirl Inc. to address menstrual health and hygiene. UNFPA and the BeGirl Inc. partnership trained 27 technicians (educators) from government institutions and civil society to provide menstrual health and sexual reproductive health educational workshops. Training sessions included other relevant topics such as body literacy, puberty and reproductive health, menstrual cycle, SmartCycle practice and self-care during menstruation. In addition, menstrual health products such as reusable period panties and tools to help participants track and understand cycles were distributed. During approximately fifty sessions, four thousand menstruation panties (two per girl) and four thousand menstrual clocks were distributed. Through the Ser Menina programme, 4,000 girls and boys were reached with educational information on menstrual health management and SRH in the provinces of Benguela, Cuanza Sul, Lunda Sul and Moxico.

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Women in Angola have an enormous impact on the well-being of their families and societies, yet their potential often remains unrealized because of discriminatory social norms, incentives, and legal institutions. Although their status has improved in recent decades, gender inequalities persist.

In 2021, the Ministry of Social Action, Family and Women Promotion (MASFAMU) with the support of UNFPA and UNDP started the process of creating the Angola Gender Observatory (OGA). The OGA will be the main national mechanism to track and report the progress on gender equality and gender equity; contribute to monitoring SDG 5 on Gender Equality but also gender-sensitive indicators across the SDGs and the National Development plan. This investment in gender statistics will close the large data gaps that prevent the successful monitoring of progress on regional and international instruments on gender equality.

At the country level, UNFPA works to strengthen the capacity of health and law enforcement services to address GBV. In response to the need for guidelines to respond to domestic violence, UNFPA supported the Ministry of Social Action, Family and Women's Promotion (MASFAMU) to develop a Handbook for Assistance to Victims of Domestic Violence. The handbook contains minimum requirements for intervention, monitoring and assistance to complainants. The guide is a vital component in strengthening the national response to combat GBV in line with Angola's regional and international commitments. The handbook will be ready for dissemination in 2022. In addition to the handbook, the CO further supported MASFAMU to revise the National Law against Domestic Violence. The updated version aligns with the newly approved Penal Code of Angola.

In addition to providing a responsive legal and health system, women's economic empowerment is an essential avenue for promoting gender equality and mitigating the risk of gender-based violence. Young women in particular are less likely to become involved in transactional and exploitative sexual relationships if they can earn an income on their own. In partnership with Lara Almeida, a Cape Verdean entrepreneur, UNFPA supported the training of 31 young women to produce reusable pads, create appropriate product branding, and market their products on social media.

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With an annual population growth rate of 3.2 per cent and an average of 6.2 children per woman, Angola has a steep child dependency burden. UNFPA is supporting the government, led by the
Ministry of Economy and Planning (MEP), to realize a policy scenario where economic growth consistently outpaces population growth and investment in the economy, education and health,
including family planning, are simultaneously prioritized.

UNFPA supported the National Population Policy document revision to ensure that it fully informs the process of harnessing the demographic dividend. In July 2021, partners from priority sectors met to provide strategic feedback on the draft policy. Following the high-level meeting, the MEP and UNFPA held a multi-sectoral workshop with the participation of government, civil society and
development partners where the General Guidelines of the National Policy for Population (DGPNP) were presented and examined. Inputs from these deliberations will ensure a collaborative spirit and strong acceptance from government agencies and partners to implement the national population policy - set to be finalized in 2022 - and its related action plan.

Angola will hold its second General Census on Population and Housing in 2024. UNFPA is actively supporting the census planning process led by the MEP and the National Statistics Institute (INE) through capacity-building efforts. UNFPA held a successful Census Preparation webinar with 50 staff from the INE and over 100 global participants. UNFPA also supported the 30-day mission of an international consultant to support the update of the country’s cartography. This process will ensure total coverage of the national territory in 2024 and enable a graphic display of information, including disaggregation into urban and rural areas.

To further strengthen national population data, UNFPA supported the INE to develop two thematic studies on Gender and Youth based on the 2018/2019 Expenditure, Income and Employment (IDREA) Survey in Angola. The studies were finalized and launched in the last quarter of 2021 and provide an in-depth view of the effects of poverty on women, girls and young people.

In 2021, UNFPA’s total investment in Angola was approximately USD 5,7 million. This included an investment of USD 3,1 million in regular resources and USD 2.5 million in other resources from donors. The UNFPA Angola CO enhanced its efforts to secure domestic financing for the ICPD agenda, by mobilising resources from the Government of Angola (GoA) to amplify the coverage of quality health services for women and girls in hard to reach areas. The CO successfully mobilized funds from the Ministry of Health through the World Bank as well as the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support the government’s humanitarian response in the southern region provinces.

The CO also supported implementing partners (IPs) to navigate through the challenges brought about by COVID-19, to deliver programme results including carrying out humanitarian interventions in drought-affected provinces. With movement restrictions, in-person training programs for UNFPA partners was no longer feasible. The challenge led to an innovative solution – a virtual training space. Based on the eLounge Platform, the online training reached a larger number of participants than would have been possible in a physical training. In addition to the training course sessions, UNFPA provided technical support webinars to guide participants on accessing and navigating the platform. Following the successful training, the Angola CO IP Training eLounge Platform won the Innovation Culture Award at the 2021 UNFPA Innovation Awards.

The generous support of our donors and the dedicated work of our partners continues to change the lives of women, girls and young people across Angola.