Masarouna: Stichting RNW Media In a region where securing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) is especially challenging, Masarouna will mobilize the power of young people’s collective action in six Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries to support their fight for greater freedom of choice and respect for their SRHR through new and innovative pathways for change. Our vision is that young people (YP) meaningfully induce sustainable change that will enable them to enjoy their SRHR.
RNW Media is one of the consortium partners implementing the project. RNW will bring in expertise on digital media and engagement of VP. RNW provides information and engagement on SRHR for millions of young people via digital communities and digital media channels; generates data on young people's SRHR needs to be used as evidence for advocacy on their behalf;  develops the capacity of CSOs to use (digital) media to engage young people on their SRHR and run campaigns, as well as the capacity of media organisations to better reflect young people's SRHR issues.

Context:
In 2019, 41.4% of MENA’s population was aged 15-39, making it one of the world’s youngest regions. In recent years, young people have demonstrated their ability to become main drivers for change in response to long-standing structural inequalities, rising authoritarianism and increased levels of conflict and fragility. Young people in MENA continue to face some of the most vocal conservative opposition to their SRHR. The problem that Masarouna will tackle is the perpetualobfuscation and the increasing weaponization of SRHR as a form of social control. This strips SRHR of the urgency it deserves, yet, we strongly believe fulfilling young people’s SRHR can have a transformative effect on sustainable development due to its connection with basic human well-being and gender equality. Strategic objective: Young people in six selected countries in the MENA region achieve more freedom to enjoy their SRHR in inclusive societies.
Targeted group: Young people aged 18-35, in particular (unmarried) women and LGBTQI+. Activists and individuals will be mobilized as agents and drivers of change throughout the programme cycle.

The programme’s strategic objective and outcomes contribute directly to achieving SDGs 3 (health and well-being), 5 (gender equality) and 10 (reduced inequalities. The programme is fully aligned with the ICPD25 Nairobi statement’s call for renewed commitments towards women’s and Young People’s SRHR.

The Masarouna programme implements two main pathways of change:

1: Lobby and advocacy with young people for their SRHR
The first pathway promotes greater accountability of governments to adhere to international SRHR standards, human rights frameworks and agreements; promotes young people’sactive and meaningful involvement in policy agenda-setting and decision-making; and increases public awareness on SRHR, including through media engagement, aiming to create new narratives on SRHR.

2: Strengthening civil society and reinventing civic space
A strong civilsociety can be a mobilizer, an amplifier of voices and a watchdog. With strengthened capacities, CSOs can create a sense of urgency around SRHR to push for sustainable change. CSOs need the space to play this political role, which Masarouna aims to reinvent by promoting the political activation and participation of young people and creating and strengthening alternative civic spaces, both online and offline. Working online allows for reaching young people at scale by circumventing gatekeepers and mitigating risks around censorship.