Withholding sexual reproductive health and rights is an injustice to women

By Njaleruma Kigozi

WHITE Ribbon Alliance (WRA) international’s citizen reporters and advocates for women’s health from Uganda, Tanzania and Malawi have called upon politicians to include sexual reproductive health and rights in their manifestos especially at the time when they are seeking a fresh mandate.

They decried the failure of the African governments at keeping their promises and commitment on matters concerning women’s health, safe-motherhood and freedom from harm and ill treatment.

The citizen journalists were meeting in Kampala last week, to share experiences and learn more skills about the way sexual, reproductive rights and sexual health could be amplified to large masses as a principle need for women equality, dignity, respect and survival.

They pointed out areas like weak health systems, inadequate knowledge/education about sexuality, gender irresponsiveness and rights, poor healthcare, poor education, justice and legal systems, as some of the critical areas left unattended to that have led most governments in Africa to withhold or deny their citizens sexual and reproductive health and rights.

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Faridah Luyiga Mwanje reads the media release.

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UN Women deputy country representative Anna Nutavati gives her remarks.

Vision Group's Cathy Mwesigwa addresses the participants.

African governments  promised to put aside 15% of money collected in a fiscal year for purposes of saving the lives of pregnant women and new borns through allocation of sufficient funds  to recruit, motivate and retain health workers at health centers, procure medicine supplies and equipment, but very little is done in this regard.

Women and girls continue to face a high risk of illness, injury and death during pregnancy and child birth.

“Respect for women’s independence, their dignity, feelings, choices and their  preferences  strengthens efforts to prevent maternal morbidity and mortality; maternal health services that are not right-based may serve as an exit point for health care instead of an entry point,” Anna  Mutavati  the UN-Women deputy country representative said at the meeting.

Brigid McConville from White Ribbon Alliance UK added that ignorance, fear and judgmental attitudes on the part of medical staff and decision makers in the health systems lead to negligence or denial of certain services, such as safe conception and appropriate contraception.

Anna Mutavati and Winfred Ongom who was chosen to attend UNGA meet in New York.

Anna Mutavati and one of the participants, Ellen Twizere.

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Participants use their phones to tweet.

They warned that mothers who bring forth children in the world and sustain humans, generation after generation, will continue to die in vast numbers unless governments provide and uphold their sexual and reproductive health rights without coercion, discrimination and violence.

Faridah Luyiga Mwanje, WRA Communication manager outlined the repercussions to women whenever sexual and reproductive rights are violated. She cited the maternal mortality rate that increases tremendously among teenage girls:  “Child marriage affects primarily girls, although it can also affect boys. In the developing world, one in three girls will most likely be married before they are 18 years old and one out of nine girls will be married before they are 15. The majority of those girls are poor, under-educated and live in rural areas,” she added.

Other consequences include complications of pregnancy and child birth and practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) at free will.

Mwanje called on those in national leadership to stick to that call for reduction of the infant mortality rate, improve maternal health and reduce HIV/AIDS, malaria, the MDGs that directly affect the achievement of sexual, reproductive health and rights.

Writer is a citizen reporter with White Ribbon Alliance-Uganda