Unify for Rights:Stakeholders Urge Governments to Harmonise SRHR Policies.

By Hamu Madzedze-

Online Health Editor ,Zimbabwe

Stakeholders are urging governments to harmonise sexual and reproductive health rights policies to ensure women and young girls health rights are protected .

This call to action is driven by the recognition that inconsistent policies can exacerbate existing gender inequalities and deny girls access to education,healthcare and autonomy over their bodies.

Addressing participants during the the 2nd session of the Sexual Health with Equity Rights Media Fellowship (SHE and Rights),stakeholders warned that the Geneva Consensus Declaration jeopardises progress on gender equality and human rights ,conflicting with established agreements like the UN's PACT for the Future which was adopted in September at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

The Programme Director for the Asian Pacific Resource and Research Centre(ARROW) Menka Goundan emphasised the importance of educating ourselves about threats like Geneva Consensus Declaration which poses significant risks to women's reproductive rights.

Goundan added that declaration is a regressive and anti-abortion document with a right-wing framework which undermines women's choices about their own bodies and health , allowing governments to hide behind the principle of sovereignty and evade their obligations to uphold women's sexual and reproductive rights.

"While the recent adoption of the PACT for The Future presents a progressive step forward ,we must remain vigilant against threats like the Geneva Declaration that undermine its implementation and hinder our commitments to gender equality and human rights" said Goundan.

Founder of the Legal Caravan and Advocate of Kenyan High Court Kavutha Mutua highlights a concerning contradiction that most African countries have committed to International Human Rights instruments which champion gender equity and women's empowerment particularly in areas like safe abortion ,access to contraceptive access and comprehensive sexuality education however policies such as the Geneva Convention seem to undermine these advancements.

"Kenya's constitution provides for the right to access abortion services but is a signatory to the regressive Geneva Declaration and as Africa we need to prioritise the removal of legal and policy barriers towards access to safe abortion services and access to contraceptives"said Advocate Mutua.

Meawnhile Dr Suchitra Dalvie ,Co-Founder and Coordinator Asia Safe Abortion Partnership (ASAP) said safe abortion rights are critical to the progress of humankind because the inability to control fertility reduces opportunities to access education ,financial independence and criminalising abortion does not reduce or stop it but it reduces safe abortions.

The Executive Director for Marie Stopes International (MSI) Tushar Niroula said the Geneva Consensus Declaration is a regressive , conservative ,authoritative and repressive attempt to undermine women's reproductive rights.

"Despite its claims the declaration neglects women's health rights and by promoting no right to abortion it contradicts international efforts to establish safe abortion as a human right""said Niroula.

Coordinator of the SHE and Rights Shobha Shukla highlights the consequences of Geneva Consensus Declaration which contradicts the UN's Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) aiming to achieve gender equality by 2030.