Elrha’s Post

🌍📢 New Publication Alert! ENHANCING WOMEN’S VOICES, LEADERSHIP, AND PARTICIPATION For over 13 years, women-led organisations (WLOs) and women’s rights organisations (WROs) in Northwest Syria have been at the forefront of humanitarian efforts, providing lifesaving assistance to marginalised communities. Despite challenges such as safety risks, limited funding, and underrepresentation, these organisations embody the principle of "leaving no one behind." Since 2021, UNFPA's cross-border operations have partnered with WLOs and WROs to amplify their essential role in addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs. Together, we are paving the way toward a more inclusive, feminist, and sustainable humanitarian response. This publication shares insights, challenges, and recommendations for donors, UN organisations, international NGOs, and local organisations to strengthen these partnerships and drive positive change. 📥 Download now: https://unf.pa/3WrUWaB 💪 Let's continue empowering women to lead and build resilient communities!

Co-Authored- "Rights in the response: Exploring human rights implementation strategies to ensure accountability for the sexual and reproductive health and rights of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh" has been published in Jindal Global Law Review ! This piece delves into the SRHR related challenges faced by Rohingya women and girls in Camp-15! In the humanitarian context, it is crucial to focus on enhancing the accountability mechanism by having a rights based approach towards SRH services! Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/gSGDPVrM

This week saw United Nations leaders, government representatives and partners come together in New York for the 2025 first regular session of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), UNDP and UNOPS Executive Board. The Board oversees and supports the activities of these organizations, ensuring that they remain responsive to the evolving needs of programme countries. ➡️ Finland contributed EUR 2 million (USD 2.2 million) in core resources to the UNDP in 2024, reflecting its unwavering commitment to multilateralism and underscoring its dedication to advancing sustainable development globally. ➡️ In 2023, the work carried out by UNFPA with Finland’s funding helped to avoid nearly 900 maternal deaths, prevented nearly 500,000 unintended pregnancies and supported access to sexual and reproductive health services for over 700,000 women and girls. Ulkoministeriö

🚨 BREAKING: On January 24, 2025, President Trump reinstated the Global Gag Rule (GGR)—a dangerous policy that denies U.S. government funding to organizations like IPPF if they provide or even discuss safe abortion services with funds from other donors. The GGR is a direct attack on human rights and bodily autonomy, forcing women to continue with unwanted pregnancies, or into an unsafe abortion. Evidence shows this policy leads to more maternal deaths, more unintended pregnancies, and more unsafe abortions. 📉 IPPF will lose more than $60million in US funding, ending services and care for women, youth, and marginalized communities in 13 countries. This decision is a further insult to injury on top of other U.S. foreign policies that are catastrophically impacting vulnerable communities. 💔 Earlier this week, the State Department’s Office of Foreign Assistance ordered a global pause on foreign aid spending, halted work on existing grants and contracts, and have announced plans to rejoin the Geneva Consensus Declaration, an anti-abortion declaration that undermines global sexual and reproductive health and rights. We refuse to stand by while foreign aid is weaponized to enforce hateful ideologies. We call on all governments, donors, and allies to unite against this injustice. Together, we can fight for sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice for ALL. 💡 Help us resist and persist. Donate today to our global fight to support life-saving services: https://bit.ly/41dxWj1 Our full statement here: https://bit.ly/3WAeQAx

Young people's right to better access to sexual and reproductive services as well as comprehensive sexual and reproductive education at school should be taken more seriously. When young people have limited access to comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) information, they are rendered vulnerable to challenges such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), early pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and gender-based violence (GBV). Without proper sexual health education, these risks compound, deepening the cycles of health and socio-economic hardships that many young people struggle to overcome. To address this, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Rwanda, with the support of the The Government of the Republic of Korea through KOICA, launched the 'Healthy and Empowered Youth Project' in 2020 in Rwanda. The project aimed at bridging crucial gaps in sexual and reproductive health services, particularly in Rwanda's most vulnerable districts—Rusizi, Karongi, and Nyamasheke—and in refugee camps like Kigeme, Kiziba, Mahama, and Mugombwa. Over three years, the project empowered over 1.8 million adolescents and youth, providing them with life-changing information on SRHR and GBV. The impact was not only immediate but transformational. 296,200 youths gained access to vital SRH and GBV knowledge, while 846,983 young people were equipped with the skills necessary to make informed health decisions! Through the establishment of 27 youth corners in districts and 6 in refugee camps, the project ensured safe spaces where both in-school and out-of-school adolescents could access youth-friendly services. The youth corners became sanctuaries—offering not just health education but also socio-economic support, mental health counselling, internet access, and medical assistance in an environment that respected their privacy. The Golden Youth Corners, a special initiative under the project, provided comprehensive SRHR services and became a lifeline for vulnerable youth, especially in refugee camps. This project has not only transformed individual lives but has paved the way for future generations to grow up with better health outcomes, stronger communities, and the resources they need to build brighter futures. We love to see such impactful initiatives across Africa that ensure young people have access to the knowledge and services they deserve to live healthy, empowered lives. #GenderHealthGap #WomensHealth #YouthEmpowerment #SRHR #RwandaYouth #GBVPrevention #AdolescentHealth #YouthFriendlyServices

Across the African continent, #AbortionAccess remains highly restricted, with many countries enforcing severe limitations that endanger reproductive health and bodily autonomy. Despite the impact of imperialist and harmful policies like the global gag rule, feminist organizations are turning the tide by pressuring lawmakers, providing sexual and reproductive education, and helping individuals access abortion. ➔ In Kenya, unsafe abortion accounts for 35% of maternal mortality. Women Spaces Africa, a feminist, disability-led organization, is working to change this reality by training health providers to deliver stigma-free, inclusive abortion and contraceptive care for people with disabilities. ➔ In Cameroon, The Voice Up is creating a safe space for victims of gender-based violence, addressing the specific needs of transgender individuals who face disproportionate levels of violence. They are increasing access to abortion and other sexual and reproductive services by providing trauma-informed listening, psychosocial follow-up, and raising community awareness.    ➔ In Benin, where 20% of maternal deaths are due to unsafe abortions, feminist organizations like Filles en Action are pushing back against cultural stigma and criminalization. They are creating safe spaces for girls and young people to learn about sexual and reproductive health, training healthcare providers, operating a hotline for comprehensive support, and collecting data to understand girls’ needs and advance access to critical services in the face of ongoing challenges.  #InternationalSafeAbortionDay  

Across the African continent, #AbortionAccess remains highly restricted, with many countries enforcing severe limitations that endanger reproductive health and bodily autonomy. Despite the impact of imperialist and harmful policies like the global gag rule, feminist organizations are turning the tide by pressuring lawmakers, providing sexual and reproductive services, and helping individuals access abortion. ➔ In Kenya, unsafe abortion accounts for 35% of maternal mortality. Women Spaces Africa, a feminist, disability-led organization, is working to change this reality by training health providers to deliver stigma-free, inclusive abortion and contraceptive care for people with disabilities. ➔ In Cameroon, The Voice Up is creating a safe space for victims of gender-based violence, addressing the specific needs of transgender individuals who face disproportionate levels of violence. They are increasing access to abortion and other sexual and reproductive services by providing trauma-informed listening, psychosocial follow-up, and raising community awareness. ➔ In Benin, where 20% of maternal deaths are due to unsafe abortions, feminist organizations like Filles en Action are pushing back against cultural stigma and criminalization. They are creating safe spaces for girls and young people to learn about sexual and reproductive health, training healthcare providers, operating a hotline for comprehensive support, and collecting data to understand girls’ needs and advance access to critical services in the face of ongoing challenges.

Check out our annual report with cover stars Alliance of Women Advocating Change in Uganda!

So it’s here…the Global Gag Rule. One thing is to read about it and theoretically imagine what it might mean, another thing is to witness the direct consequences the GGR has on organizations and people they serve. Those will be devastating and long-lasting. More details in our post and statement 👇🏻

Girls in Africa face significant challenges in accessing sexual and reproductive health information and services, as well as high rates of sexual violence and exploitation. However, there are efforts underway to empower girls and protect their rights. The EU-Africa Initiative on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights aims to increase access to quality SRHR services, products, and education, particularly for adolescent girls and young women. Programs like "SHE SOARS" in Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia are working to improve out-of-school girls' access to SRHR information and services, address gender inequalities, and empower girls to make decisions about their bodies. Organizations like Belie Health Foundation in Cameroon are also working to empower adolescents, women, and girls to advocate for their reproductive health rights through capacity building, partnerships with local leaders, and community mobilization. By supporting these efforts, educating ourselves, and speaking out against injustice, we can work towards a future where all girls in Africa are free from abuse and have the information and resources to lead healthy and empowered lives. #GirlsRights #SRH #Beliehealthfoundation