Bridging The Digital Gender Divide For SRHR In Africa

July 17, 2023
Divya Mathew, Policy and Advocacy Director, Women Deliver and Dona Anyona, Regional Policy and Advocacy Manager, Amref Health Africa

Women and girls must be given priority in designing, developing and applying digital solutions, to bring about sustainable and effective gender-transformative solutions in health.

Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is an essential human right and development issue that has a direct impact on the lives and well-being of women and girls across the world. This right is enshrined in various international and regional human rights instruments, including national laws that require innovation and collective action to empower women and girls. Now, more than ever, it is important that the sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of women and girls are protected and that they have continued access to high quality and affordable healthcare.

Continued: https://www.forbesafrica.com/brand-voice/2023/07/17/bridging-the-digital-gender-divide-for-srhr-in-africa/


Gagged No More: Joe Biden rescinds Mexico City Policy, boosting global women’s empowerment movement

January 30, 2021
Rudroneel Ghosh

In a landmark move, US President Joe Biden signed an executive memorandum to immediately rescind the Mexico City Policy – also known as the global gag rule – that barred international non-profits from receiving US funding if they provide abortion counselling or referrals. It will be recalled that the Mexico City Policy has been around for decades, being first implemented in 1985 during the second Reagan administration. Since then it has been implemented during all Republican administrations and rescinded during all Democratic administrations. Therefore, while it was rescinded during the Obama administration, it was brought back in the Trump administration.

But under Trump the policy was expanded further to ban all US health funding to even those foreign NGOs that in turn fund other groups that support abortion services.

Continued: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/talkingturkey/gagged-no-more-joe-biden-rescinds-mexico-city-policy-boosting-global-womens-empowerment-movement/


Sudan, Where Illegal Abortions remain Dangerous and Deadly

Sudan, Where Illegal Abortions remain Dangerous and Deadly

By Reem Abbas

KHARTOUM, Jun 22 2020 (IPS) - Omnia Nabil*, a Sudanese doctor, who worked in one of the largest hospitals in Khartoum, the country’s capital, was devastated to witness the deaths of 50 young women who had unsafe abortions during a space of just three months.

“I would see 16 cases of failed abortions on a given day. I would insert my hand and pull out syringes or leaves, unsanitary items that were inserted by midwives to induce a miscarriage,” Nabil told IPS.

Continued: http://www.ipsnews.net/2020/06/sudan-where-illegal-abortions-remain-dangerous-and-deadly/


India’s Liberal Abortion Law, Nullified by Social Stigma

India’s Liberal Abortion Law, Nullified by Social Stigma

By Stella Paul

NEW DEHLI, Apr 14 2020 (IPS) - Arti Zodpe is from the Tamasha (folk dance-drama) theatre in Sangli, in India’s Maharashtra state. After evening performances, some of the singers and dancers offer sex work services to the audience.

“We [Tamasha sex workers] live outside of the city as people feel disturbed by the sound of our ghunghroo [anklet bracelets with bells] and music. When we go to the city, especially to a sex health clinic, the staff say, ‘so you have come to spread your filth here’. If we get an abortion, they make us clean the floor afterwards,” she had said at a recent gathering of doctors and abortion rights experts.

Continued: https://www.ipsnews.net/2020/04/india-liberal-abortion-law-nullified-social-stigma/


How Trump’s latest efforts to stop abortion increasingly undermine global health

How Trump's latest efforts to stop abortion increasingly undermine global health
Canada recently committed a record amount toward safe abortion services. Will that be enough to combat the impacts of the US' revised ‘global gag rule’?

By: Urooba Jamal
July 16, 2019

The dilemma for a health organization is hard to fathom.

In 2018, two young women died at the hands of knitting needles and other everyday objects in Kenya, where seven women die each day in an attempt to induce an abortion on their own, bereft of safer options.

Even two years earlier, their deaths might have been prevented. But a local organization that would have previously referred them to abortion provision services was forced to choose between giving sexual and reproductive healthcare advice or signing a “global gag rule” and stopping that program, in order to continue to provide HIV services to its 10,000 clients.

Continued: https://www.opencanada.org/features/how-trumps-efforts-to-stop-abortion-are-undermining-global-health-programs/


Behind Vancouver’s massive and mysterious Women Deliver conference

Behind Vancouver's massive and mysterious Women Deliver conference

Penney Kome
June 18, 2019

Hardly anyone local was prepared when a New York-based organization named Women Deliver swept into Vancouver in early June to discuss gender equality with 8,000 political leaders, advocates, academics and journalists from 165 countries -- and another 100,000 people globally participating online -- and then swept out again. Wait! Who was that masked stranger?

What made the conference (and the organization) really daring though, was the subject: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). If a Women Deliver conference was held in an anti-abortion jurisdiction -- say, the state of Alabama -- the whole state might implode in frustration.

http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/other-hand/2019/06/behind-vancouvers-massive-and-mysterious-women-deliver-conference


Behind Vancouver’s massive and mysterious Women Deliver conference

Behind Vancouver's massive and mysterious Women Deliver conference

Penney Kome
June 18, 2019

Hardly anyone local was prepared when a New York-based organization named Women Deliver swept into Vancouver in early June to discuss gender equality with 8,000 political leaders, advocates, academics and journalists from 165 countries -- and another 100,000 people globally participating online -- and then swept out again. Wait! Who was that masked stranger?

What made the conference (and the organization) really daring though, was the subject: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). If a Women Deliver conference was held in an anti-abortion jurisdiction -- say, the state of Alabama -- the whole state might implode in frustration.

http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/other-hand/2019/06/behind-vancouvers-massive-and-mysterious-women-deliver-conference


When we improve the lives of women and girls, we all benefit

When we improve the lives of women and girls, we all benefit

Rachel Pulfer
Special to The Globe and Mail
June 6, 2019

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced this week that Canada would invest $14-billion over 10 years – $1.4-billion a year – to improve global health for women and girls. Couched in that announcement: a commitment of $700-million for sexual and reproductive-health rights.

The funding puts Canada in a leadership position on women’s and girls’ health outcomes globally. It is grounded in bipartisan values, building on the Harper Conservatives’ focus on maternal health. It’s good, solid, evidence-based policy. And yet it’s being attacked as one more example of the Liberals’ myopic focus on gender over all else, election-year posturing, or too little, too late.

Continued: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-when-we-improve-the-lives-of-women-and-girls-we-all-benefit/


NGOs call on Canada to renew foreign funding for women and children before it runs out in 2020

NGOs call on Canada to renew foreign funding for women and children before it runs out in 2020

Michelle Zilio, Parliamentary affairs reporter
April 12, 2019

Dozens of non-governmental organizations are urging the Trudeau government to make renewed, long-term investments in the health and rights of women and children around the world before Canadian foreign-aid funding for the sector runs out next year.

Most of Canada’s international funding for maternal, newborn and child health, and sexual and reproductive rights, is set to expire in 2020. Health and rights groups worry a massive global funding gap left by the Trump administration’s crackdown on international abortion funding will deepen if Canada and other countries do not renew and increase their investments in the field.

Continued: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-ngos-call-on-canada-to-renew-foreign-funding-for-women-and-children/


Penny Mordaunt says UK will defend abortion rights amid global pushback

Penny Mordaunt says UK will defend abortion rights amid global pushback
Development secretary vows government will ‘hold a strong line’, after attempts by Trump administration to weaken commitments

Liz Ford
Tue 9 Apr 2019

Britain’s international development secretary has promised to stand firm in her support for abortion rights in the face of growing opposition.

Speaking at an event hosted by the Canadian embassy on Monday, Penny Mordaunt said: “Leadership means not shying away from issues like safe abortion when the evidence shows us these services will save women’s lives.”

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/apr/09/penny-mordaunt-says-uk-will-defend-abortion-rights-amid-global-pushback-trump