S TATUS OF YOUTH S EXUAL AND R EPRODUCTIVE HEALTH R IGHTS IN A FRICA : W HAT ARE THE ISSUES OF CONCERN. Chioma Ekwo Program Officer WHARC

P RESENTATION OUTLINE Background Meaning of Reproductive Health. Meaning of Reproductive Rights. Reproductive Health Rights. Issues of concern in YSRHR Challenges in improving YSRHR. Approaches in improving YSRHR Recommendations Conclusion

BACKGROUND Recent demographic data indicate that Africa is populated by 1,022,234,000 populace making it the second most populous continent in the planet after Asia. Most of the populace consist largely of youths. African youths continue to be weighed down with several challenges and difficulties: illiteracy, unemployment, high rates of poverty, Violence, substance abuse and other abnormal social behaviors.

B ACKGROUND CONTINUES … Due to lack of investment in youth development by Africans to secure its growth and economic prosperity. It is therefore not surprising that African have adverse reproductive health outcomes.

WHAT IS REPRODUTIVE HEALTH “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in all matters relating to the reproductive system and to its functions and processes”.

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CONTINUE Men and women should be able to enjoy a satisfying and safe sex life, have the capability to reproduce and the freedom to decide if, when and how often to do so and this requires informed choice and access to safe, effective, affordable and acceptable health-care services.

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS These are based on human rights recognised in international human rights declarations, treaties and other instruments.

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS INCLUDE The same right of men and women to marry only with their free and full consent. Right of access to information. Right to the highest attainable standard of health. Right to privacy. Right education

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS CONTINUES Right to freedom from discrimination (on the basis of gender, marital status, age, race and ethnicity, health status/disability).

ISSUES OF CONCERN Denied assess to information on sexual and reproductive health. Gender inequality Child marriage Poor education and youth development. unwanted pregnancy Exposure to STI/ HIV

ISSUES OF CONCERN C ONTINUES Unsafe Abortion: Abortion is the termination of pregnancy before term. Maternal mortality: death of a woman during pregnancy, childbirth or six weeks after childbirth. Female genital cutting: is partial of complete removal of the female external genital and most times causes difficulties in childbirth Sexual violence

CHALLENGES IN IMPROVING YSRHR Although there is growing willingness and commitment by both national and international bodies to establish the rights of youths to access sexual and reproductive health information, there are challenges in the implementation of policies and programs that address YSRH in Africa and these challenges include political, economic, religious and cultural barriers.

APPROACHES IN IMPROVING YSRHR Challenge social stigmas that prevent services from meeting the needs of youth Expand access to quality information and engage in advocacy to advance youth SRHR Support education and policies to address gender and economic inequalities Improve girls’ health and development by significantly reducing child marriage

APPROACHES IN IMPROVING YSRHR CONTINUES …. Advocate for youth friendly services that provide an approachable, responsive environment and offer young people the information, skills and means to make safe choices regarding their reproductive health.

RECOMMENDATION Sex and family life education for youths. We must develop the human capital of youths today and begin to hold government accountable.

CONCLUSION Youth Sexual and Reproductive health is an indispensable accelerator of sustainable development

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