Resource mobilization is a critical issue in the current discussions on the Sustainable Development Goals and the post-2015 development framework. Proposed goals should be adequately resourced in order to be achieved across all developing countries. The outcome document of the 47th session on Commission on Population Development (CPD) states “Program of Action requires for its implementation adequate mobilization of resources at the national and international levels.” Similarly, the outcome document of the 13th Open Working Group explicitly highlights ‘finance’ as one of the key targets of the proposed goal of means of implementations and revitalization of the global partnership for sustainable development. One of the four targets under this goal is to mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources.
Women’s health, with specific reference to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), has to be analyzed in the context of current global economic landscape. Key over-arching trends that will impact financing for SRHR are:
• A significant reduction in public spending specially for health sector by many states in the face of global recession.
• A growing trend of privatization of health, national governments are drifting away from their responsibilities to provide universal health care.1
• Restrictive conditions of international trade agreements.
• An increased diverting of development cooperation towards concerns of security.
These combine to increase ‘Out-of-pocket-expenditures’ for health, making the ability to pay the major determinant of access to health care when s/he needs it most. This has adverse impact especially on the poor and on poor women in particular as women are most-often the last recipients of household financial resources.
