The SRHR Toolkit on Rights-Based Contraception and Directory on SRHR Information and Services for Women, Girls, And Young People in Malaysia serves as a resource for health service providers, government bodies and civil society organisations (CSOs) working on and advocating for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) to assess national and state-level health systems and advance access to SRHR.
It is tailored to the Malaysian context and designed to strengthen advocacy, provide evidence-based strategies, and ensure that both government and advocates have a comprehensive resource to support their work in fulfilling, protecting and upholding SRHR.
What does it include?
The SRHR Toolkit on Rights-Based Contraception and Directory on SRHR Information and Services for Women, Girls, and Young People in Malaysia is a practical resource tailored to the Malaysian context. It is designed for health service providers, government bodies, and civil society organisations (CSOs) to assess national and state health systems and strengthen access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The toolkit equips users with evidence-based strategies, assessments, and advocacy tools, ensuring a comprehensive guide to fulfil, protect, and uphold SRHR.
The toolkit enables sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) activists to:
- Assess how national and state health systems uphold human rights standards in delivering SRH information and services.
- Provide government agencies with a self-assessment tool to identify gaps and make improvements in health systems.
- Support CSOs and advocates with practical resources and checklists to inform advocacy on SRHR within public healthcare systems.
- Promote inclusive processes by engaging community-based organisations (CBOs) working with marginalised groups to reflect lived realities.
- Encourage safe and ethical practice through data protection, informed consent, and self-care guidance for assessors.
Key Highlights
- Human Rights Standards and Recommendations: The toolkit provides a structured framework of 9 human rights standards and 24 recommendations, supported by checklists and templates. This enables governments and CSOs to assess whether SRH information and services are available, accessible, acceptable, and of quality, while also safeguarding rights.
- Actionable solutions for SRHR: The toolkit is grounded in Malaysia’s healthcare context, and tested through pilot workshops with CSOs and CBOs, with feedback incorporated to ensure accuracy and relevance. It not only identifies gaps but also provides pathways for actionable solutions.
- Broadens the scope of contraception: Additionally, the toolkit broadens the scope of contraception beyond pregnancy prevention to include safe abortion, STI prevention, and care for gender-diverse people. It also strengthens accountability by recognising the rights of healthcare providers, highlighting their role in sustaining quality SRHR services.
Recommendations
- Adopt intersectional and inclusive approaches to ensure availability, accessibility, and affordability of contraceptives and SRH services.
- Strengthen policy advocacy through evidence and data.
- Strengthen quality of care, informed consent, privacy, and confidentiality.
- Enhance capacity of CSOs, CBOs and frontline workers to ensure quality and meaningful community participation.
- Establish robust accountability mechanisms, including recognition of provider rights.
Conclusion
This toolkit is a roadmap for advancing rights-based SRHR in Malaysia. By combining global standards with local/ lived realities, it enables governments, CSOs, and communities to bridge service gaps, promote accountability, and uphold the principles of bodily autonomy, dignity, and equality.
Download the Full Toolkit
For a detailed information on evidence-based strategies, assessments, and advocacy tools to ensuring a comprehensive guide for SRHR, download the full scoping study report below.
About ARROW and the GEI Initiative
ARROW (Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women) leads efforts to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights for young people across Asia Pacific.
The GEI aims to contribute to an enabling environment for women, girls, and young people in all their diversities to participate in national development and democratic processes that are gender responsive and inclusive.
