Social Norms
Social norms action with informed and engaged societies
Social Norms
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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White Ribbon Alliance For Safe Motherhood - Zambia

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The Zambia White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood (ZWRASM) was formed in June 2000. The launch of the White Ribbon Campaign in Zambia took place on 4th March 2000 at M'tendere Health Centre in Lusaka. The mission of the ZWRASM is to contribute to the reduction of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality through developing partnerships and strengthening capacity and collaboration at community, district, province, national and international levels. This will be achieved through advocacy, awareness-raising, and capacity building by the Alliance as a whole, combined with focused programmatic activities and community mobilization by individual Alliance member organisations.
Communication Strategies

Some of the ZWRASM activities
  • Zambia White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood (ZWRASM), a network of organisations (NGOs, INGOs, government, donors), established and formally launched by the Minister of Health
  • White Ribbon launched in Zambia as a symbol for safe motherhood
  • Theatre for community action dramas on safe motherhood conducted in 5 communities in Lusaka
  • Prototypical safe motherhood drama script developed, tested and revised
  • White ribbon messages integrated into Nurses Association of Zambia activities for International Nurses & Midwives week around the country, and into World Population Day 2000 and 2001
  • White ribbon messages and activities integrated into the national agenda and programme for World Population Day 2000 and 2001
  • Successfully worked with the government IEC committee to adopt a birth preparedness message as the main theme for WPD 2001: Make Pregnancy Safer, Plan Ahead
  • Four representatives of the Zambia White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood (ZWRASM) updated in MNH better practices by the Regional Centre for Quality of Health care (Uganda) in preparation for capacity building activities in Zambia

Alliance Member Related Activities
Television and radio spots and articles addressing maternal and neonatal health issues produced
  • Better Health Campaign (TV, Radio, and newspaper); one month focused on safe motherhood
  • TV talk show on malaria in pregnancy
  • TV talk show on women's empowerment, with emphasis on reproductive and maternal health
  • 4 page newspaper insert produced focused on safe motherhood
  • Various editorials and articles written
Safe motherhood competition for journalists conducted
  • 1 journalism technical expert updated in MNH topic areas at the 2000 Safe Motherhood conference (Tunisia)
  • Press kit and technical update provided to 19 journalists (print, TV & radio)
  • 25 print articles, 12 two-part radio programs, and 3 TV news spots were produced and submitted
Neighborhood health committee (NHC) safe motherhood interventions strengthened
  • 10,000 sets of informational cards addressing safe motherhood issues developed, printed, and being disseminated to NHC members enrolled in distance education and to all health centers and district health management teams
    · birth preparedness
    · sample birth plan
    · danger signs in pregnancy
    · mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS
    · family planning
    · use of community theatre (linked to prototypical SM drama script)

Partners
Membership to the Zambia White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood is open to all interested NGOs, private and commercial sectors, interested stakeholders and individuals. At the outset, the Alliance has 18 member organizations including CBOs, NGOs, and International NGOs (see membership list, below). The Secretariat for the Alliance is based at the Buungano Women's Centre in Lusaka, which is part of the Non-Governmental Coordinating Committee (NGOCC).
Sources

Background document provided by ZWRASM October 2001.