Legislators pledge to promote reproductive health rights
LEGISLATORS attending the eighth International Parliamentarians’ Conference on the Implementation of the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action in Norway have adopted a new statement of commitment to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all.
The MPs, from 112 countries across the world including the SADC region, adopted the Oslo Statement of Commitment last Friday, pledging their support to promoting SRHR for all people from infancy to old age.
The Oslo Statement of Commitment is anchored on human rights law and dignity.
It mandates MPs to advocate and promote SRHR for everyone but particularly for women, adolescents and marginalised groups that bear the brunt of natural disasters, conflicts and other crises. SADC Parliamentary Forum Secretary General Ms Boemo Sekgoma shared findings from the Global Youth Dialogue that took place in Benin. “While SRHR is of universal application and concerns the youth and elders alike, SRHR commitments contained in the ICPD Programme of Action impact to a large extent on the youth. It is also the youth who can rise to bring innovation and overcome political obstacles in the way of the full implementation of the ICPD as well as the SDGs.”
Current data from the United Nations shows that there are about 1,2 billion individuals aged between 15 to 24 years in the world, with this figure likely to reach 1.3 billion by 2030.
“In continents such as Africa, the percentage of the youth is likely to exceed 30 percent in the next decade, which renders youth education around issues of sexuality all the more relevant and necessary. Inclusiveness of the youth is imperative to ensure that the next generation enjoys adequate SRHR services and facilities which are compatible with the ICPD commitments,” Ms Sekgoma said.
She stressed that the human right to health encompasses SRHR and warned there could be no universal health coverage without ensuring maternity and reproductive health as well as sexual rights. There was a need to protect the SRHR related rights of the youth by removing barriers to services and facilities.
“There is a need to promote legal frameworks to counter GBV and harmful practices such as female genital mutilation, child marriage and forced pregnancies.”
She also emphasised the need to protect the youth from human rights abusers.
“Intersectional discrimination is to be stopped to ensure that all young individuals are treated alike under the law and are bestowed the same opportunities through protective human rights frameworks that can also eradicate gender-based violence, sexual gender-based violence as well as technology-facilitated violence against the youth”.
On education, Ms Sekgoma said the youths advocated free education to acquire basic skills and adequate command of languages.
“Culturally sensitive and age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education is to be provided to the youth within a life skills framework,” she said.
Another outcome was related to adaptation to ensure the youth remain resilient in the face of macro-economic changes.