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Developing Marginalised Women's and Girls' Agency and Voice
Project Highlights
Bridging Hope
Country: Malawi
Years: 2025-present
Donor: UNFPA
Our Bridging Hope: Empowering Women with Obstetric Fistula in Nkhotakota project uses strategic communication through interactive radio drama and community engagement to raise awareness and fight stigma towards survivors of obstetric fistula in Nkhotakota District.
Funded by the Government of Iceland through UNFPA Malawi, the project is helping to create supportive environments where women and girls affected by obstetric fistula can access services, recover with dignity and successfully reintegrate into their families and communities.
The project has reached over 15,000 community members, leaders, religious leaders, health workers and journalists so far.
Women of Dignity Alliance
Country: Ghana
Years: 2013-present
Donors: Multiple
Theatre for a Change has a long history in Ghana, starting life in Accra in 2003 and evolving quickly to work with a number of vulnerable and marginalised groups across the country.
Today we carry out our work in Ghana through our partner, the Women of Dignity Alliance (WODA). WODA was originated by Theatre for a Change in 2013, and is the only network led by and for sex workers in Ghana. It aims to provide sex workers with a safe space to learn how to improve their sexual and reproductive health, advocate for their rights, and be treated with the dignity they deserve.
Since 2015, WODA has invited groups of women in sex work, from marginalised communities, to take part in a series of interactive sexual and reproductive health workshops, which use the Theatre for a Change methodology. Through WODA the women can also access regular HIV and STI testing and cervical cancer screening, as well as mental health and counselling support.
As the women grow in confidence they begin the process of using interactive theatre to advocate for their rights and dignity to be respected and upheld by their communities and by duty bearers – such as the police and health workers. The interactive theatre community performances often involve an opportunity for audience members to be tested for HIV.
WODA has recently launched its own social enterprise, WODA Cares, a small salon run by WODA members, offering hairdressing, beauty and event management. The shop provides regular income and training for those who wish to diversify their income.
Currently WODA has over 200 regular members whose voices are being increasingly heard at national level as they campaign for decriminalisation of sex work. In the coming year, WODA is also actively increasing its work to support sexually exploited girls, many of whom have been trafficked to Accra.
Improving Adolescent and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
Countries: Bangladesh, Eswatini, Mozambique, Nepal, Rwanda, Tanzania
Years: 2017-20
Donors: VSO / DFID
From 2017 to 2020, Theatre for a Change collaborated with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) on a series of projects involving youth facilitators from six countries.
These facilitators were trained by Theatre for a Change to deliver interactive theatre projects for sexual and reproductive health and rights behaviour change and advocacy in their communities.
The projects ranged from a focus on gender equality and healthy sexual relationships to preventing teenage and unwanted pregnancy, child marriage, and violence against women and girls.
Results from each project were context-specific. In Tanzania, local bylaws were passed in six communities that held men accountable if they impregnated girls. In Bangladesh, mayors and district council members formed child marriage prevention committees. In Rwanda, more open communication developed between parents and children regarding healthy relationships, sex and sexuality.
Watch a video about the project here.