She Decides’ rallies support from more than 45 countries and raises 181 million euros

Brussels, March 2nd, 2017 – More than 45 government representatives of all continents and 400 parliamentarians and civil society participants gathered in Brussels today to express their support for women’s rights. They raised in total 181 million euros for the Global Fundraising Initiative ‘She Decides’. The Brussels International Conference was co-organized by Alexander De Croo, Lilianne Ploumen, Isabella Lövin and Ulla Tørnæs, Ministers for Development Cooperation of respectively Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark.

The Brussels’ conference focused on sexual and reproductive health and rights, and in particular family planning, as the foundation for gender equality, women’s empowerment and economic development for both men and women, wherever and whoever they are.

Women from Pakistan, Colombia and Mali explained what it means not to have access to reproductive health care. The Ministers for Health of Chad and Ethiopia talked about the challenges in their countries. UN organizations, NGO’s and research institutes set out how their work impacts women’s lives and how it contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals which the world has agreed on for 2030.

First step
She Decides aims to bring about a movement that includes everyone who shares these beliefs and values. The broad moral and political support expressed by all participants today is the start of this global partnership for women’s rights.

The financial support from governments and private foundations and the contributions of the private sector will be instrumental in making these rights a reality for millions of women and girls around the world.

Uplifting millions of women
“Today’s Brussels International Conference is a promising start for the global movement in favor of women’s rights that She Decides aims to be,” said Alexander De Croo, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development Cooperation of Belgium. “When I launched the idea of gathering in Brussels four weeks ago, I never had hoped so many would come to voice their support. The broad backing of She Decides will uplift millions of girls and women fighting their rights around the world. And this is only the beginning.”

“I am deeply moved by the support voiced by so many countries, organizations and individuals for She Decides. It is a very powerful signal to the rest of the world that the fundamental right of women and girls to decide over their own lives must be respected. We will accept nothing less and we will continue to fight to make this right a reality all over the world,” declared Lilianne Ploumen, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands.

”I warmly welcome the broad support for sexual and reproductive health and rights and the She Decides initiative that today’s conference shows”, says Ulla Tørnæs minister for development cooperation of Denmark. “Millions of the most vulnerable women in the world are at risk of losing access to contraception, information and health services. Therefore, the broad support shown today will change lives and lift the fight for women’s rights all over the world. When we invest in women, everybody wins. It is without a doubt that we cannot reach the Sustainable Development Goals without active participation of women. Therefore, investing in women’s rights is not only the right thing to do, it’s a rational thing to do”.

“No country can rise out of poverty if there is no access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. There can be no true democracy if women cannot enjoy full human rights”, said Isabella Lövin Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate. “Today is the beginning of a progressive alliance for women’s rights. We send a strong message that we must not back down on the progress made during the last decades.”

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Joint Statement of Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden co-organizers Brussels International Conference ‘She Decides’

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS – A HANDBOOK FOR NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS

INTRODUCTION

“[R]eproductive rights embrace certain human rights that are already recognized in national laws, international laws and international human rights documents and other consensus documents. These rights rest on the recognition of the basic rights of all couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children and to have the information and means to do so, and the right to attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health. It also includes the right to make decisions concerning reproduction free of discrimination, coercion and violence, as expressed in human rights documents.”

PURPOSE
The purpose of this Handbook is to provide NHRIs with tools and guidance on how to integrate reproductive rights into their work. Each NHRI is as unique as the country in which it has been established but that does not mean that many of the challenges, including within the field of reproductive rights, are not the same or similar for many NHRIs. This Handbook is intended to give an introduction to reproductive rights, both what they mean in practice and their normative background, and how NHRIs can work within this field. Naturally, many NHRIs already work within the reproductive rights field, and a number of experiences from NHRIs have been gathered and are mentioned in the Handbook.

In line with the ICPD Programme of Action, all development should be centred on peoples’ rights. Development should happen, and funds be spent, in a way that not only respects basic tenets of human rights but also furthers their realization, without discrimination, as the ultimate development objective. Inherent to that understanding is the notion that the recipients of development and public services are not passive recipients of “charity” but are individuals with rights (rights-holders) who should be empowered to demand these from duty-bearers (principally states).1 This is central in the area of reproductive rights where the importance of empowering rights-holders, particularly women and adolescent girls, cannot be overstated.

The United Nations Common Understanding of a Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA), reached by consensus among various United Nations agencies in 2003, guides UNFPA’s work, as it does for all United Nations agencies. Reproductive rights should be an area where NHRIs take charge, help set the public agenda and assist the state in living up to its responsibilities in a way that is transparent, participatory, non-discriminatory, empowering and sustainable.

Naturally, it is not possible to provide all relevant information on reproductive rights in a Handbook of this kind but for NHRIs deciding to work on reproductive rights issues, there are many avenues of assistance. UNFPA works with NHRIs and is available for assistance and cooperation. OHCHR has also been involved in the protection and promotion of reproductive rights and, together with UNDP, has a long and deep experience in working with and assisting NHRIs. These are all relevant partners for NHRIs wishing to work within the field of reproductive rights.

Of course, in this as in all other endeavours it is also relevant for NHRIs to work together. NHRIs should seek assistance from each other and within the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights. Additionally NHRIs should reach out to the regional networks, being the Asia-Pacific Forum,3 the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions, the Network of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights on the American Continent and the European Network of National Human Rights Institutions.

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Intersections between Youth and Reproductive Health Supplies: A Report to the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition

Executive Summary

Commissioned by the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition (RHSC), this report aims to help its members better understand young people’s needs for reproductive health supplies with a view towards framing future actions to ensure optimal and equitable access. It explores the supply-related barriers that impede access to the contraceptive services young people desire and need. The evidence presented here makes it possible to identify these barriers, understand better the variables that contribute to them, and target future youth-focused initiatives.

As key components of its Strategy 2015-2025, the RHSC emphasises the importance of four key pillars: availability, equity, quality and choice. In this report, specific emphasis is placed upon the pillar of equity, and in particular on the financial and product barriers that impede access to reproductive health supplies. The findings in this report lay out a comprehensive set of interventions which are themselves derived from best practices in the field. These hold out the potential to help young people demand and monitor the services and supplies that meet their needs.

Young people’s access to commodities is hampered by a number of factors including restrictive policies, provider attitudes, cultural barriers, and/or social and financial vulnerability, the relative importance of which often depends on the local or national context. In some cases, the key obstacles may be enshrined in law. In others, the greatest obstacles may be the way laws are interpreted.

Common wisdom holds that young people’s sexual activity is largely sporadic and unplanned. They often prefer short term methods (pills, injectables, condoms) which can be cheaper. Nevertheless, Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARCs) can be appropriate for this group and yield cost savings through fewer visits and follow-up. If used routinely over time, short terms methods work out to be more expensive as evidenced in the higher cost per Couple Years of Protection.

Although many programmes focus upon unmarried youth, young married women may also benefit from increased use of LARCs to postpone their first birth and space their second and subsequent births. Family disapproval, however, may make it hard for them to access services; so integrating family planning with postpartum care or childhood immunisation services may serve as effective strategies to increase access.

Other underserved groups include marginalized and vulnerable youth who are often difficult to reach. Young people living with HIV, for example, often experience discrimination at health centres because of their HIV status. And youth in emergency or humanitarian crisis situations must often deal with the effects of uncertain supply chains. Even if young people manage to access services, societal disapproval, provider bias or supply chain disruptions prevent them from getting the method they need or want. Stockouts may have an especially pernicious effect on young people as they often do not have the time, cash or autonomy to seek alternative supply sources and therefore quickly become discouraged.

Policymakers, providers, and both community and religious leaders have expressed reservations about the suitability of Emergency Contraception (EC) for youth. EC is not widely available in many settings and is not on the National Essential Medicines List of most developing countries; and yet it holds out unique benefits for young victims of sexual assault and can decrease unsafe abortion and reproductive morbidity and mortality. It is, therefore, crucial that EC be included in political agendas that address both commodities and reproductive rights.

With regard to service provision and delivery channels, many young people seem to prefer to access their family planning methods via the private sector. They perceive it to be more discreet and to provide a better quality of care. A Total Market Approach (TMA) can support private sector provision whilst building up a public sector that is youth friendly. Voucher systems and social marketing can make commodities more affordable via franchises and other outlets where quality is assured. In addition, peer education and community outreach can bring supplies to specific groups who may be marginal or vulnerable. All of that, coupled with rights-based life-skills training could increase uptake.

Young people’s needs and preferences should be considered in the design and implementation of their services and the development of new technologies. Making sure these services include life skills training can also enhance the likelihood young people will apply the reproductive health information they acquire even when society disapproves.

Evidence-based advocacy, carried out collectively by engaging multiple partners, is the best tool for mobilising the resources needed to improve contraceptive availability and service provision.

The interface between youth and reproductive supplies is complex. It encompasses a list of barriers ranging from policies, service delivery protocols, to cultural and legal obstacles. Enhancing young people’s access to commodities should be a priority within countries’ health and development agendas. In addition, youth involvement in the design, implementation and evaluation of relevant policies and
services will be crucial in ensuring ownership and optimal impact.

Specific recommendations on the way forward are given at the end of this report. They include the need for task-shifting and the inclusion of emergency contraception in national Essential Medicines Lists. They also include recommendations for national policies to provide youth-friendly services, including to those under the age of 16. They recommend that young people actively participate in the design of service provision programmes at all levels (through family planning associations, health facilities, and community organizations) to ensure their needs are represented. And lastly, this report highlights the need for appropriate pre- and in-service training to overcome provider biases, and to ensure that providers have the necessary skill sets to adequate stocks of a broad range of contraceptive commodities.
Read the full report here…