TQM report,
Advocacy for Women With Disabilities Initiative (AWWDI) has expressed gratitude to African Women Development Fund (AWDF) for supporting them on their continued advocacy for Inclusive Budgeting for SRH for Women and Girls With Disabilities (WGWDs).
In a press release signed by the Executive Director, Mrs. Patience Dickson, the group said “We as AWWDI in particular and WGWDs in general want to say a big thank you to African Women Development Fund (AWDF) for supporting us and the Inclusive Budgeting for SRH for WGWDs”.
AWWDI has being carrying out a campaign known as WE ARE WOMEN TOO which was designed to continue advocacy the voice of WGWDs in all sectors particularly in this context of INCLUSIVE BUDGETING FOR SRH FOR WGWDs.
Mrs. Dickson informed that Sexual and reproductive rights (SRR) are fundamental human rights, which are enshrined in national, state, and international laws and agreements. Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is critical for gender equality and sustainable development. Girls’ and women’s control over their bodies, fertility, and sexuality is a critical prerequisite for empowerment and rights, and for enabling full participation in all domains of society—economic, social, political, and cultural. Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is an integral part of girls’ and women’s rights to be free from discrimination, coercion and violence, and enshrines the principles of bodily integrity, dignity, equality, and respect for diversity.
“Despite this, SRHR and sexuality remain contentious issues, as seen in the negotiations for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)”.
“For women with disabilities, disability inclusion and gender equality cannot be achieved without addressing their sexual and reproductive health and rights. In particular, girls and young women with disabilities are able to develop their own identities and realize their full potential when their sexual and reproductive health needs and rights are met. That contributes to ensuring their health and well-being, reducing the existing gaps in their access to education and employment and achieving their empowerment. When those needs and rights are not met, they are exposed to unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, gender-based violence and sexual abuse, child marriage and other harmful practices that hamper their participation”.
She highlighted that Sexual and reproductive health and rights are human rights. They are not only an integral part of the right to health, but are necessary for the enjoyment of many other human rights, including the rights to life, freedom from torture and ill-treatment, freedom from discrimination, equal recognition before the law, privacy and respect for family life, education and work. As such, sexual and reproductive health and rights are universal and inalienable, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated.
“States must ensure the availability accessibility, acceptability and quality of facilities, goods, information and services related to sexual and reproductive health and rights”.
“Sexual and reproductive health and rights entail a set of freedoms and entitlements. They encompass the right to have control over decisions concerning sexuality and reproduction without discrimination, coercion and violence, and the right to access a range of sexual and reproductive health facilities, services, goods and information. Sexual and reproductive health services include, inter alia, contraceptive counselling, information, education, communication and services; education and services for prenatal care, safe delivery and postnatal care; the prevention and appropriate treatment of infertility; safe abortion services; the prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted and reproductive tract infections; and sexual and reproductive health information, education and counselling” she stated.
In order to address the challenges of SRHR of WGWDs, she stated that there is need to address issues of harmful stereotypes, norms, values, taboos, attitudes and behaviours related to the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls with disabilities; Sex education (in formal and non-formal settings) and access to sexual and reproductive health information; Access to child and youth-friendly quality sexual and reproductive health services; Prevention, care and treatment of sexually transmitted infections; Violence against girls with disabilities impacting their enjoyment of sexual and reproductive health rights; Harmful practices, such as forced sterilization and child, early, and forced marriage and Medicalization to control/suppress sexuality.
AWWDI is grateful that AWDF provided a platform that they are using to further advocate for the inclusion of all persons with disabilities especially women and girls with disabilities and other marginalized groups in to policies and programs as an equal basis as other citizens with no discrimination on the basis of their disability, we are also saying that there should be an inclusive budgeting for Sexual Reproductive Health concerning women and girls with disabilities.
