WHO ARE WE?
Established in 2001, Share-Net International (SNI) is the knowledge platform on SRHR. SNI is a membership network of non-governmental organisations, researchers, policy makers, implementers, advocates, students, the media and companies operating in the SRHR field, working closely with a wide range of partners across the globe. We foster a continued dialogue between our members, where we analyse and synthesise state of the art knowledge aiming at evidence informed policies and practices. SNI addresses both sensitive and neglected topics and our members do not shy away from discussing these in the safe spaces that we offer. We are organised in four country hubs, in Bangladesh, Burundi, Jordan and the Netherlands. Each country hub is hosted by a local organization, SNI is hosted by the KIT Royal Tropical Institute. Our core values include: transparency, diversity, collaboration, participatory, integrity, safety, and using rights-based approaches. Since 2014, the Small Grants Facility has funded 36 projects of SNI members across the four country hubs. There were 123 applications during that period. The types of projects implemented range from qualitative research studies, programme evaluations, awareness raising activities, development of infographics for policy makers, films for broader dissemination and discussion, policy briefs etc. A wide range of topics was covered such as: youth SRHR, Family Planning Services and Performance Based Financing, SRHR in People with Disabilities, CSE, Menstrual Hygiene, Mainstreaming Sexual and Gender Diversity, engagement of the private sector in SRHR, LGBT, mental health and SRHR etc. As of 2017, the focus of the Small Grants Facility has shifted to translating knowledge gained into tangible products which can be used to influence policy and practice. 2017 saw 12 projects awarded a small grant. WHAT
HAS BEEN ACHIEVED THROUGH THE SMALL GRANTS FACILITY? About our Small Grants Facility
The Share-Net Small Grants Facility is one of the methodologies of SNI to support knowledge management activities amongst the members. These grants provide funding for applied research, documentation of practices and the creation of knowledge products for improving policy and practice in SRHR. They also provide the opportunity to improve the work of our members and facilitate the development of knowledge products which are otherwise difficult to get funded.
How it works
Calls for applications are distributed yearly and members from across the four country hubs can apply for funding to undertake activities. There is a review mechanism for all four hubs where both the secretariat of SNI, knowledge experts and country experts are represented. The board approves the selected grantees, which are then contracted by KIT Royal Tropical Institute, as the host of the SNI secretariat.
PREVIOUSLY AWARDED PROJECTS ‘To Porn, Or Not to Porn? That is the Question’
A digital Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) product for adolescents has been developed in Ethiopia. Mock-ups of four prototypes have been tested and the most popular prototype was the ‘University of Sex’. Users wanted to speak to someone who could answer their questions with authority and who had the education necessary to do so. They also liked the prospect of interacting with a real person. The digital platform has been developed and implemented. As an extra outcome, it was integrated with the most popular message apps in Ethiopia so that young people who may not have the opportunity to attend university can learn from the digital one. ‘Exploring sexuality of physically disabled people through photo‐narratives in Bangladesh’
A photobook and narratives were used to discuss disability and sexuality, proving to be powerful methods for understanding these concepts. The photobook has emerged as a tool that can initiate discussions and thinking processes around gender, sex, sexuality, body and identity. The project ended with several praising the initiative. Many reported that workshops on disability and sexuality would be planned in their own organisations, mentioning that they gained new ways of thinking to help them design more inclusive programs and interventions on disability and SRHR. The big insight of this project was that people want to talk about disability and sexuality, and with the photobook and narratives they have tools to do so. ‘From research to practice: the value of five years of maternal health research collaboration in Ghana’
This research shows that there is a big dissemination gap as it concerns maternal health among stakeholders in the research community, participants and their families, NGOs, policy makers and practitioners. A video and poster exhibition, dissemination meetings, social media and the book “CarryCare” have all been developed to illustrate the importance of research and capacity building within the field of maternal health in Ghana. These tools are essential for the support and value of maternal health research in Ghana and the Netherlands. and become part of the knowledge platform on SRHR as either a member or a sponsor. When joining Share-Net, you will not only be contributing to our mission and vision, but you will also be able to enjoy specific member benefits: Have free access to all the meetings that we organise. (Non-members participate at cost-price) Participate in our working groups or CoPs, which is exclusive for members. These groups are crucial for agenda setting, organising meetings and executing small research projects. For more information on the Share-Net Netherlands working groups and thematic groups please visit www.share-net.nl/working-groups. Be elected in one of our governing bodies, the Steering Committee of the Netherlands or the Board of Share-Net International. All members are invited to our annual business meeting. Be eligible for our yearly call for proposals for the Share-Net International Small Grants facility. Join us! Sponsor us! The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands funded the Small Grant Facility for the last 5 years starting in 2014. We are currently looking for investment partners to allow the work of the Small Grants Facility to continue and grow. The grants amount between €10,000-€25,000. Our ambition is to contract small grants to organisations for a total amount of €200,000 per year. For a complete overview of the small grants projects from 2014-2017 visit our website http://share-netinternational.org/grants For more information about our Small Grants Facility, please contact our Coordinator of Share-Net Netherlands, Meike Stieglis, M.Stieglis@kit.nl