This year, UNFPA in collaboration with Amman TV and 360 Moms, published the first TV show that discussed sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for youth and adolescents.” Fe Al-Mamar”, which means the school hallway in Arabic, was the name of the show to represent the psychological space that youth of a certain age need to travel through to get from one point of their development process to another.
As many young Jordanians have insufficient knowledge about sexual and reproductive health, compounded by limited access to adequate services. In particular, when related to issues of sexual and reproductive health, Jordanian youth are not well informed. Therefore, the show aimed to shed some light on issues that might feel dark, confusing or even scary for adolescents during puberty. In addition to improving the quality of youth’s life by helping them to gain knowledge about SRHR and enabling them to make right decisions about their sexual and reproductive health, through the production of 12 episodes in a youth-friendly approach.
Ms. Enshrah Ahmed the Head of UNFPA office in Jordan views this collaboration as a significant partnership with different stakeholders including the engagement of the private sector; “This show is needed for every girl and boy living in Jordan. The access to evidence- based and age-appropriate information empowers youth to exercise their rights, and contribute to their communities. “Fe Al-Mamar” reflects UNFPA’s commitment to promoting innovative approaches for knowledge transfer on SRHR topics among adolescents and youths in development and humanitarian settings”, she expressed.
“This show is needed for every girl and boy living in Jordan. The access to evidence- based and age-appropriate information empowers youth to exercise their rights, and contribute to their communities. “Fe Al-Mamar” reflects UNFPA’s commitment to promoting innovative approaches for knowledge transfer on SRHR topics among adolescents and youths in development and humanitarian settings.”
Enshrah Ahmed the Head of UNFPA office in Jordan
Mr. Qais Elias, Station Manager, at Amman TV said “Working on Fe Al-Mamar with UNFPA has been an eye-opening experience for us at the station. This is a type of content that commercial entities rarely venture into because of the perceived red lines, especially when it comes to addressing some of the topics we’ve presented. However, since the content went on air and social media, the feedback has been surprisingly positive. This demonstrates a dire need for such open-minded, entertaining and educational content. We hope to work on more such projects in the future”.
For content development, 360 Moms conducted desk reviews on the chosen topics in collaboration with certified subject-matter experts, including; psychologists, Internet security specialists, parenting consultants, gynecologists, and pediatricians. Moreover, UNFPA created a review committee that was made up of members from the Ministry of Youth, Ministry of Awqaf, Higher Population Council, Royal Health Awareness Society, Institute for Family Health, Hamzet Wasel, Y-PEER, as well as youth activists.
"Working on project management and research for the UNFPA's TV youth segments was a great experience; having this wonderful synergy of experts, advisors, TV producers, and of course the comedian who is the medical host brought out a unique blend that I believe was the secret ingredient to the success of these episodes." Dina Abdul Majeed, Founder & CEO of 360 Moms explained.
Dr. Laith Abbadi, a Psychologist in Child and Adolescents Mental Health is also a stand-up Comedian, who was the show’s host. His talent helped him deliver all information and messages which were conveyed from each episode in a fun and engaging way, so all the boys and girls could enjoy the topics and learn more about it through watching the episodes.
“There is a lot of missing information and issues that are not addressed in the media, this show was a great opportunity to discuss SRHR topics and fill the gaps in a holistic approach by covering the biological, physiological and social aspects” Dr. Laith Abbadi highlighted.
The show was broadcast on Amman TV twice a week, in addition to posting the same episodes on the social media accounts of Amman TV, 360 Moms, Dr. Laith Abbadi and UNFPA' Jordan. Eventually, the show secured a total reach of more than 2 million views in just the first couple of weeks. It was received by many online reflections from youth and parents. Indeed, the show bridged the gap needed by providing information from reliable sources.
All episodes are available HERE to view.
