Body Talk 1.0
Empowering young people with disabilities in their sexual and reproductive health and rights
The Body Talk program ran from January 2022 to March 2025 in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia. It was implemented by NLR Indonesia, the Research Centre for Inclusion, and NORFIL Foundation, with support from Liliane Fonds and Rutgers.
Body Talk strengthened the sexual development of children and youth with disabilities, ensuring they can fully enjoy their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The program worked closely with families, communities, service providers, and young disability leaders to build an inclusive SRHR ecosystem.
Key Results:
Reach & Participation
- 6,500 youth with disabilities trained across Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines
- 3,200 parents and caregivers engaged in supportive learning
- 300 local leaders (teachers, religious leaders, community figures) mobilized
- 123 “Agents of Change”—youth champions with disabilities—identified and empowered
- 250 service providers sensitized on inclusive SRHR
- 60+ schools and special education centers actively involved
Systems Strengthening
- 4 new youth-focused SRHR clinics established
- Inclusive SRHR guidelines piloted at national and provincial levels in Vietnam
- SRHR integrated into local disability policy in Indonesia
Key findings:
- Significant Empowerment of Youth with Disabilities: Across countries, Body Talk led to substantial increases in SRHR knowledge, self-confidence, and boundary-setting skills among youth with disabilities. Interactive, peer-led, and visual tools proved particularly effective.
- Strengthened Family and Caregiver Support: Joint youth-parent training models and community-based parent champion initiatives demonstrated that engaging caregivers directly is crucial to deepening and sustaining impact.
- Shifted Community Norms and Attitudes: Where community champions, faith-based leaders, and local influencers were actively engaged, stigma around SRHR and disability decreased, though challenges persisted in conservative contexts.
- Improved Youth-Friendly Services: Training of healthcare providers and localized youth clinic models improved accessibility and youth comfort levels when seeking SRHR services.
- Emerging Policy and Education Integration: The program demonstrated early successes embedding inclusive SRHR guidance into provincial and national education systems.
Zero Project 2023
The Body Talk program was selected as an innovative practice awardee of the Zero Project 2023 by the Essl Foundation.
In addition to this award, Body Talk was selected as one of the few international programs to participate in the Zero Project Impact Transfer Program for 2023. Via the program, organisations are prepared to develop their programs into business models for worldwide application on local levels.
Contact
Due to the great success of Body Talk 1.0, a follow-up program Body Talk 2.0 will run from January 2026 until January 2028. Are you interested to learn more about the program and the materials used? Please reach out to mvgerwen@lilianefonds.nl.
