Women gather for reproductive health conference
Posted on June 26, 2009
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Sexual and reproductive health, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), entails that people are able to have a satisfying and safe sex life and that they have the capability to reproduce and have the freedom to decide if, when and how often to do so.
Despite countries being signatories to many international treaties on gender equality and women empowerment, women are still subjected to discriminatory practices when it comes to reproductive health.
Executive Director of UNIFEM Ines Alberdi says women are not free to sexually express themselves. As such, their sexual and reproductive health rights continue to be trampled upon with genital mutilation and sexual violence still rife in most parts of the world.
“Sexual and reproductive health is a concern the world over. Thus, there is need to adopt positive attitudes towards this issue for the betterment of women,” said Niger’s Minister for Women Affairs and Children’s Protection.
Deputy Prime Minister of Spain, Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, underscored the need for the world to speak with one voice to ensure that inequalities and issues of sexual and reproductive health are addressed for a better world. Despite health being part of human rights, it remains a utopia, she added.
She reaffirmed Spain´s continued support for Africa in dealing with issues of equality, including sexual and reproductive health matters. Although Spain contributes largely at different levels to the well-being of families and the world at large, their work goes unrecognised, she said.
Held under the theme “Women for a better world”, the forum heard that women are only exposed to sexual and reproductive health issues in the maternity ward despite women of all ages facing problems related to this phenomenon.
Country Director of the Namibia Planned Parenthood Association (NAPPA), Sam Ntelamo, said not everyone is well conversant with what sexual and reproductive health is all about in Namibia.
“I should admit that information flow to the majority of the people at grass-root level has been very limited, thus prompting for urgent action from all stakeholders working in the fields of sexual and reproductive health”, said Ntelamo.
He added that sexual and reproductive health issues are diverse and thus need to be addressed cautiously.
Ntelamo acknowledged progress made at Government level in trying to address issues related to sexual and reproductive health, citing family planning methods offered for free in most public health facilities as one example.
While institutions such as NAPPA continues to play their complementary role to Government by providing family planning and other sexual and reproductive health services such as treatment for sexually transmitted infections, post abortion care services, counselling of victims of gender based violence are areas of concern.
Imminent challenges facing the country include funding as not much is being allocated for programmes relating to sexual and reproductive health.
“The advent of HIV/AIDS has really suppressed funding for sexual and reproductive health services”, he said.
He added there is need to educate mostly young people on the advantages of using different methods of family planning saying this can help reduce the current problems the country is experiencing, such as teenage pregnancies, back street abortion and baby dumping.
From the PUSH Journal June 25th 2009
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