Hivos’ Post

🥳 On the occasion of #InternationalYouthDay, we are thrilled to publish our new report “Africa’s Future Is Young: Young People’s Priorities for the Reproductive and Sexual Self-Determination”! 🌍 Earlier this year, our international team travelled to #Nigeria, #Tanzania and #Zambia to meet with youth-led organisations, young leaders and other experts to hear first-hand about their perspectives on young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights #SRHR. These consultations highlighted the urgent need to prioritise investments in young people’s #SRHR, centre marginalised youth in programming and empower local youth-led organisations to create sustainable change. 👉 We invite you to dive into the report to better understand the current state of young people’s #SRHR, young people’s needs and priorities, and best practices and recommendations from the perspective of young experts in our study’s three focus countries: https://lnkd.in/e_aRHcGF

A bleak picture is painted by SMEX’s report on content moderation policies and practices regarding content related to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in West Asia and North Africa (WANA). According to the study, platforms do not have SRHR-specific policies; instead, regulations are generally scattered around different policies, such as community guidelines and advertising policies. These regulations often fall under “adult” or “sexual” content, leaving room for poor and summary regulation. The restriction or removal of posts, ads, and accounts often happens on vague grounds, sometimes with illogical or irrelevant explanations, despite the content being innocuous and far from explicit in any form. Ad rejection, in particular, has proven to be a challenge for SRHR advocates, who engage in lengthy and time-consuming appeal processes, making self-censorship a common practice. Additionally, Arabic content is met with harsher restrictions than similar English-language content. Read the report:

This week, I will be in NYC for the Commission on Population and Development, fifty-seventh session (2024) with other political, UN entity, and civil society leaders who are committed to driving sexual and reproductive health, rights and bodily autonomy. At a critical moment for humanity, yesterday during the start of #CPD57 the Political Declaration was adopted, with reference to the words of Berta Cáceres, quoted by my President Honduras –  "Let's wake up, world, we still have time!" 30 years on from the Cairo Conference and Programme of Action, the commitment to people-centric development reaffirmed with the adoption of this Political Declaration. This declaration aligns the commitment of 193 Member States with the ICPD Programme of Action and and the 2030 Agenda. Read the UK Government's Joint Statement on the 30th Anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development delivered by the Government of Zambia on behalf of 81 Member States: https://lnkd.in/et9mnenc #ICPD30 #CPD57 #humanrights #srh #srhr #womenleaders #genderequality

Our research on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights explores restrictions over SRHR content online by analyzing content moderation and censorship policies of social media platforms. In our recommendations, we ask for greater transparency and a more nuanced approach to SRHR content moderation in WANA. SMEX urges social media platforms to improve their policies and practices to keep SRHR content free of restrictions, censorship, and prejudice. You can read our report, “From Sharing to Silence: Assessing Social Media Suppression of SRHR Content in WANA" here https://lnkd.in/e-tvA2Qx

Please join the Philippines Institute's Deputy Director Maria Tanyag for an important discussion about the key findings of her newly published book 'The Global Politics of Sexual and Reproductive Health'

Exciting beginnings! Our first field research assignment "Impacts of Climate Change on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) of Women Living in the Coastal Regions of Bangladesh" is underway... Diving deep into the heart of the community. Together, we're gathering insights to make a lasting impact. #FieldResearch #TeamWork #SAVE #EmpoweringCommunities"

🚨 #ClimateChange is not gender neutral. It threatens the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls. During #COP29, get the facts and join the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to take #ClimateAction: https://unf.pa/COP29 #GlobalGoals

Climate change is not gender neutral.

In 2023, our project, the Youth Power Hub, conducted an in-depth assessment of youth-led social accountability efforts across Africa, focusing on advancing commitments to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The study highlights the significant impact of youth-driven initiatives, their challenges, and key opportunities for enhancing their effectiveness. Our newly released policy brief provides detailed findings and actionable recommendations to strengthen youth leadership and accountability mechanisms in SRHR. Learn how these insights can create significant change and empower African youth-led advocacy. Stay tuned for the comprehensive study coming soon! Learn more about the Youth Power Hub project here: https://lnkd.in/gbahGJD3 #YouthLeadership #SRHR #SocialAccountability

Today's resource spotlight is an #Interfaith Brief on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (#SRHR). Many Southern African faith-based organisations and people made this brief possible, including ACT Ubumbano, Faith to Action Network, ACT Alliance, We Will Speak Out South Africa and many more. "Communities of faith are critical to the success of SRHR initiates in the region. We have huge membership, networks of experts, resources and the commitment to contribute towards effective programmes. Driven by our faith and large pools of motivated volunteers, we have the capacity to provide leadership in the overall response to SRHR at family, community, national and regional level. Our faith is our life blood. It underwrites and informs our engagement with SRHR issues. It drives our passion and sheds light on contested themes. Our faith guides our SRHR involvement and enables us to share the conviction that our participation lays a solid foundation for robust and effective programmes throughout the region." - Interfaith SRHR Brief, 2020 You can download the brief here: https://lnkd.in/ecepuDc5 #SRHR #TheRoad2Equality #FaithInGenderJustice #Brief #Dialogue #SDG5 #LeaveNoOneBehind #Agenda2030 #Partnership