FLAS is a Swazi NGO that has been successfully operating in the country since 1979, championing access to quality, pro poor, rights-based, gender-equitable, youth-focused and non-discriminatory sexual and reproductive health information and services, especially for vulnerable and marginalized populations.
In a country where the general dominating trends are pervasive poverty and economic inequality, access to quality sexual and reproductive health services remains a key priority area. The social marginalization of vulnerable groups calls for stimulation of a better policy landscape and service delivery mechanisms. Limited access to appropriate information, gender inequality, abuse of cultural norms also add to the barriers that limit service availability and service uptake in settings where those services have been made available.
As such, FLAS’ work focuses on:
- Empowering Swazis to act freely on their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) through the delivery of comprehensive sexuality education.
- Delivering quality, integrated SRH and HIV services
- Strengthening legal and policy instruments at national, sub-regional, regional and global levels to ensure that the sexual and reproductive health and rights of the people of Swaziland are respected, protected, promoted and fulfilled.
The role of organisations such as FLAS in addressing these challenges is complementary to the role of the government and private sector and, as such, can never be replaced.