SAfAIDS Stands Firm in Supporting SRHR & Women's Rights Amid Global Challenges
SAfAIDS, led by Rouzeh Eghtessadi, upholds the rights of individuals to decide on their own sexual and reproductive health. Despite challenges like the Global Gag Rule, the organization remains unwavering in its commitment to promoting access to contraception and preventing unsafe abortions. By rejecting dictations of the MCP, SAfAIDS continues to advocate for women and girls, highlighting the adverse effects of restrictive policies. The call to adopt a conquering attitude emphasizes the importance of persistence and advocacy in the face of obstacles, aiming to safeguard gains made in advancing SRHR and women's rights.
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SAfAIDS Experience: Holding High the SRHR Umbrella under the Dark Cloud of the Global Gag Rule Rouzeh Eghtessadi (MPH) Acting Executive Director SAfAIDS Regional Office Email: rouzeh@gmail.com
Our Position on the MCP Our Position on the MCP SAfAIDS does not subscribe to dictates of the MCP (Global Gag Rule) SAfAIDS stands as a principled human rights based organisation which firmly believes that the right to decide and exercise control over one's own body, sexuality and reproduction is fundamental to every person SAfAIDS believes that a woman s right to decide when and with whom she wants to have children are linked to, and requires, access to contraception in order to avoid unintended or unwanted pregnancies and prevent unsafe abortions SAfAIDS does not subscribe to any efforts to curtail the rights of women and girls in any sphere of their lives
Some Adverse Effects of the MCP Some Adverse Effects of the MCP Forced to make untenable choice between continuing to promote ALL SRHR ( + right to abortions) OR taking US global health funding irreparable damage for individuals & entire communities Termination of AGYW, OVC and families (USAID & FHI360) programmes Dramatic cut in skilled workforce, and loss of critical assets Reduced resource availability to sustain gains made in advancing women and girls SRHR, and initiating new and needed initiatives Demotivated staff and local partners who are invested in SRHR work Reversed gains made in SRHR for AGYW and Women s Rights increase unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions slowing progress towards achieving goals to prevent deaths of women, girls, mothers and children Weakened crucial coalition-building efforts due to fear of engaging with groups that are/are not complying ; resentment, reworked trust building MCP Passive Response criteria not conducive to African context!
Adopt A Conquering Attitude! Adopt A Conquering Attitude! Principles FIRST! Dig-deep for creative and persevering efforts to identify new alternate spheres & resource investment for SRHR e.g. philanthropies, social enterprise, private sector CSI/CRS Do not shy away from advocating liberalization of abortion laws Keep On! Consider support for overcautious health workforce, who may be struggling with over-interpretation of the policy Invest in strengthening SRHR and Women s Rights focused organisations capacity and skills to exercise their right to advocate their own governments Accelerate sustained and visible advocacy what is Southern African civil society and development partners united agenda? Where is our Movement? Strategise, Write, Speak repeat & press on till something budges! e.g. CHANGE published Prescribing Chaos in Global Health: The Global Gag Rule from 1984- 2018, June 2018.What are we doing to carry this evidence into action?
Every Crack Lets in Light (Japanese Proverb) .. Aluta Continua !
