About SRHR
Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) remain one of the most significant challenges in the quest for gender equality. Fuelled by deeply ingrained patriarchal attitudes and reflected in the high rates of GBV, HIV and AIDS, the denial of these rights and services, coupled with negative attitudes and stigma, has especially devastating effects for young women and vulnerable groups such as sex workers and LGBTIQ+ persons.
The key objectives of our SRHR programme include:
- Promoting SRHR integration in local and regional policies
- Enhancing universal access to SRHR services and education
- Lobbying for the development, funding and implementation of adolescent SRHR policies in 16 Southern African countries
- Building a robust young women’s movement in the SADC Protocol Alliance
- Strengthening ASRHR (adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights) responses at the local level
- Advocating for safe abortion policies, the domestication of the SADC Model Law on Child Marriage and effective teenage policies
- Building women’s agency and economic power as a strategy to improve women’s and girls’ SRHR and prevent GBV
Why this work matters
Sexual and reproductive health and rights remain one of the most significant challenges in the quest for gender equality. Fuelled by deeply ingrained patriarchal attitudes and reflected in the high rates of GBV, HIV and AIDS, the denial of these rights and services, coupled with negative attitudes and stigma, has especially devastating effects for young women and vulnerable groups such as sex workers and LGBTIQ+ persons.
Gender Links’ SRHR work tackles the deep-rooted inequalities that continue to shape lives across Southern Africa, especially for women, girls and marginalised communities. The SRHR barometer, our flagship tool, tracks progress and gaps in SRHR policies across the region. The latest findings show that:
- The contraceptive prevalence rate in the SADC region ranges from 59% in Botswana to a low of 17% in Angola. Seven countries meet or exceed the global average of 49%
- SADC is not on track to achieve some key SDGs, as well as the targets of the SADC Gender Protocol and the SADC SRHR strategy. Some countries are doing better than others
- Adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights are critical for the well-being and development of young people in Southern Africa who face high rates of HIV, child marriages and adolescent fertility
Gender Links helps ensure that regional commitments, such as the SADC Gender Protocol and the SADC Strategy for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights 2019-2030, are not just words on paper but are translated into real change at national and local levels, holding governments accountable and tracking progress towards gender equality.
We help communities access vital services and information, especially in areas where these rights are restricted or stigmatised. Through media advocacy and education, Gender Links promotes positive portrayals of women and dismantles gender biases that perpetuate inequality.