Sexual and reproductive health rights for adolescents are not adequate at healthcare facilities, and access to youth-friendly services is hindered by resources, and culture. Now, Covid-19 is making this even harder.
The current state sexual and reproductive rights for transgender people is complicated — with ground-breaking legislation on one hand, but poor communication about what is offered by healthcare facilities and practical barriers to access care on the other.
The 41-page strategic framework focuses on five priority areas including the evidence-based revision of current policy and improved sexual and reproductive health and rights knowledge among adolescents and their caregivers.
Women Deliver founder Jill Sheffield and Sonke Gender Justice Network’s Remmy Shawa write about South Africa’s role in empowering the world’s largest generation of young people.
The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) says the scarcity of abortion services in public healthcare institutions violates Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.
Holo Muchangwe Hachonda IV of Zambia is a young man with a very huge mission. In 1997, while still a teenager, he formed an organisation with the express aim of working in the field of sexual and reproductive health rights and HIV prevention. He has worked extensively with churches, schools and NGOs in Zambia to promote young people'€™s rights to access sexual and reproductive health information and services. In recognition of his efforts to reach out to the new generation, he was recently awarded an AMANITARE award. This award is presented to an individual or organisation that has made a meaningful contribution to women'€™s health and rights in Africa. Khopotso Bodibe of Health-e News Service, spoke to this visionary young lad and discovered that issues he confronts daily in his work are the same problems South Africa is plagued with.
A new concept is gaining momentum in South Africa. After three years of debate and discussion a Charter for Sexual Rights has been adopted enshrining the rights of women to control their sexual and reproductive health. The Charter advocates mutual respect between men and women and it is hoped that this will prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.
In his recent state of the Union address, the President of the United States, George W. Bush, announced a 15-billion dollar five-year commitment to address HIV/AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean. This large, but still insufficient amount of funds is aimed at preventing seven million new infections of HIV in both targeted regions. However, the question is who, and what, projects will benefit from the promised US funds? As Khopotso Bodibe reports, delegates at the African Women'€™s Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (AMANITARE) Conference, held in Johannesburg recently, grappled with this question.
The growing rate of maternal mortality coupled with the spread of HIV/AIDS as well as the low availability and use of fertility control methods are putting a strain on many African economies and have placed the continent in a state of a reproductive health crisis. In an attempt to address this emergency in the region the first-ever conference dedicated to African women'€™s sexual, reproductive health and rights will be held in Johannesburg, from the 4th to the 7th of February. Khopotso Bodibe looks ahead to this crucial meeting.
As South Africa joins the global community in fighting a pandemic, this presents an opportune moment to also reflect holistically on our health system, especially health services for womxn. As today marks World Health Day, it’s also important to remind ourselves of the importance of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) for our overall health and well-being. By Angelica Pino, Programmes Director, Sonke Gender Justice.
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