FAR organized a consultative session on the effects of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) on women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) on November 8th, 2019 in the eve of the Nairobi Summit on the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD).
The meeting was attended by feminist and SRHR activists from Nigeria, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Uganda and South Africa, working in the following organizations: Polycom Development Project, Dandelion, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Africa, Women Advocates, Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), Amnesty International, Pleasant Foundation, Womankind Worldwide, Akina Mama wa Afrika, Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) and independent activists and researchers who attended our meeting. We were pleased to have the participation of a representative of our donor, Ford Foundation, Ms. Nancy Moloantoa.
Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, FAR Steering Committee member, opened the meeting to welcome the participants and introduce FAR in the region. Krishanti Dharmaraj, CWGL Executive Director, explained the origin of FAR and the goals of our alliance, which aims to strengthen the feminist movement and leadership globally and amplify women’s voices from the Global South, and from communities in the Global South that have been largely discriminated, to influence international policies and norms using human rights standards.
Melissa Upreti, Member Expert of the WGDAWG, introduced the mandate of this UN Special Procedure established in 2010 to address all forms of discrimination against women and girls throughout their life cycle. Ms. Upreti explained the role of the WGDAWG in monitoring the State compliance with its international obligations contained in human rights treaties and its capacity to provide technical support to States, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and other actors to contribute to the adequate implementation of women’s rights. Ms. Upreti shared information about the forthcoming opportunity for CSOs to contribute to the 2021 thematic report of the WGDAWG on reproductive health and rights in contexts of crisis, and encourage the submission of inputs once OHCHR issues a call for submissions in 2020.
The second part of the meeting was focused on collecting inputs that will be considered to produce a submission for the WGDAWG’s 2021 thematic report. Participants engaged in group discussions to analyze the linkages between GBV and SRHR during crisis and human insecurity contexts in each country represented, and the challenges to ensure State accountability and victims/survivors access to justice and reparation. Further discussions were focused on the recommendations to CSOs and States to ensure women have access and enjoy their SHRH in contexts of crisis.
