Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs (CCP) is proud to announce the launch of an exceptional new campaign in South Africa: ZAZI.
ZAZI aims to reduce the HIV incidence among South African women, in addition to, preventing unwanted pregnancies, diminishing gender based violence and promoting healthy pregnancies and postnatal care, including exclusive breastfeeding.
By encouraging self-confidence, ZAZI celebrates the strength of South African women to make positive choices for their future. It calls upon young women to resist peer pressure and know their rights.
“The ZAZI campaign has been developed by women for women and celebrates the strength of South African women,” explains Bronwyn Pearce, Deputy Country Director of Johns Hopkins Health and Education in South Africa (JHHESA). “We hope the campaign will create a movement that encourages women to define their own values and their own path in life.”
The campaign consists of advocacy, mass media and community mobilization components. The key feature of the mass media portion of the campaign is a song and music video performed by the gifted South African musician, Zonke, in collaboration with the up and coming poet, Nova, and with the support of 86 children from the University of Pretoria’s Youth Choir.
The music video depicts women confidently facing situations around intergenerational sex, gender based violence, dual protection and education.
“For better health outcomes for women and girls, we all need to recognize that the needs of individuals cannot be addressed in isolation of the contextual factors that influence their decision making,” expresses Pearce.
A provincial launch of the campaign took place in Mpumalanga, which will be followed by launches in KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape provinces on August 31, 2013. In light of what is designated as Women’s Month in South Africa, the ZAZI team will visit five campuses across the country in August.
With its positive universal messages about promoting self-confidence among women, CCP believes this campaign has the potential to cross borders beyond South Africa.
ZAZI was launched under the leadership of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) Women’s Sector with support from CCP and PEPFAR. Other partners include the Department of Health, the Department of Social Development, and the Department of Women, Children and People with Disabilities.
Learn more about ZAZI.
View photos from the ZAZI campaign.
