Besa Chibwe, a researcher in the Social Science Research Group (SSRG) department at the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), recently presented research findings at the Zambia Health Research Conference on the Skillz Girl programme, an initiative which aims to help girls make informed decisions to prevent poor Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) outcomes, including unplanned pregnancies, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

The study investigated parents’ perceptions of the Skillz Girl programme and the nature of communication between parents and their daughters about SRH topics.

Additionally, the study examined parents’ views on critical topics such as HIV and contraception, as well as the quality of relationships they maintain with their daughters.

This research revealed that parents support the Skillz Girl programme, recognising its importance in addressing adolescent health issues.

Further, the research showed that Parents want their adolescent daughters to be safe from adverse sexual and reproductive health outcomes while highlighting parents’ understanding that experiencing sexual feelings is a natural part of adolescence.

“This understanding by parents has motivated them to effectively communicate with their girl child to protect them against unwanted consequences,” Besa explained.

However, Besa highlighted that while parents expressed a desire to protect their daughters, they often lacked the resources and skills to communicate effectively about SRH topics.

She emphasised the need for evidence-based interventions to improve parent-adolescent discussions and increase parental engagement in SRH education.