49 million
page views in 2018
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)
What sets Love Matters apart is that it talks about pleasure, rather than sticking to the conventional focus on dysfunction and avoiding disease. This approach has put Love Matters in the limelight as a SRHR thought-leader.
With this pleasure-positive approach and non-judgemental discussions on mobile-friendly platforms, Love Matters delivers accessible evidence- and right-based information and advice to young people to help them make informed decisions. They also create an online space for them to share their thoughts with their peers and to pose questions to (s)experts.
Love Matters
blush-free facts and stories
Open, honest and sex-positive, the Love Matters programme is a global leader in delivering information and media on love, sex and relationships to 18-30 year olds in areas where information on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is censored or taboo.
Love Matters started in 2011 in India and has since scaled to five other regions. Love Matters has country specific platforms in China and India (with a bilingual Hindi and English platform). Love Matters Arabic is based in Egypt and Love Matters Africa is based in Kenya. The French language platform Amour Afrique is based in DRC.
Sex and relationships have a huge impact on young people’s lives, but many live in societies where information about sexual health and rights is censored or taboo. These sorts of taboos include anything from masturbation to condom use, from sex before marriage to abortion, and they are often reinforced by religion, politics, gender norms and other social pressures.
The lack of effective communication around sex and sexuality often gets in the way of tackling global health concerns, with people preferring to suffer in silence and avoid shame rather than seek help.
6.5 million
social interactions in 2018
Innovation – both online and off
The programme uses digital data analysis to understand the specific needs of each of its target regions. In response to those needs, Love Matters tailors its platforms to reach millions of users and engage them in open, honest and non-judgemental conversations about all aspects of love, sex and relationships.
Love Matters has many offline activities that we roll out with both local and international partners. These activities include campaigns, concerts, installations (graffiti art, virtual reality), research projects and presentations at international conferences. Offline activities are a way to strengthen communities developed online and create a different kind of outreach and visibility.
Partnerships
The Love Matters programme is currently funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of the ‘2017-2020 Next Generation Programme’.
Love Matters also benefits from a multi-country grant from Amplify Change to promote the SRHR of young people, with a specific focus on LGBT youth. This programme is called ‘Rights, evidence, action – amplifying youth voices’ (REA). Love Matters India is also supported by grants from the Packard Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the Gates Foundation.
Love Matters engages with research bodies to explore various key topics – be it establishing the effectiveness of a pleasure-based approach to sex education, testing the viability of our Love Matters sustainability model, or measuring the impact of specific campaigns.
7.6 million
followers
An introduction to Love Matters
Explore the possibilities on love, sex and relationships
Would you like to join us in creating safe spaces for young people to make informed choices to have safer, healthier and happier sex and relationships? Please contact us to explore the possibilities.
Love Matters projects
© LOVE MATTERS | Rita Lino
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