SheDecides 2017: ARROW and Partners Respond with their Asks for the Asia Pacific Region

ARROW and its partners from the Asia-Pacific region welcome the initiative by the governments of Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Belgium in support of the Global Fundraising Initiative SHE DECIDES. The initiative aims to enable women and girls all over the world to exercise their reproductive rights, including the right to access safe abortion services.

This is indeed a timely initiative following the reinstatement of the Mexico City Policy, also referred to as the Global Gag Rule, by President Trump[1]. As a result many organisations will not be able to provide lifesaving access to contraception services and information, maternal and neonatal health care, and HIV prevention and treatment. SHE DECIDES aims to increase financial and political support for sexual health, reproductive rights, and contraception across the globe and mitigate the impact of Global Gag Rule’s reinstatement.

During the last few months we have seen disturbing waves of populists, nationalist conservatism sweep across countries. This endangers women and girls and also our rights; further threatening human rights and development across the globe. Initiatives such as SHE DECIDES therefore have a critical role to play in alleviating its consequences and ensuring human rights of the most marginalised women and girls.

Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) is integral to achieving human rights of women and girls. They have to be taken in totality and not selectively. SRHR is an integral part of women and girls’ rights to be free from discrimination, coercion and violence, and enshrines the principles of bodily integrity, dignity, equality, and respect for diversity.

 

Asia-Pacific and its needs

The Asia-Pacific region is home to 4.5 billion people[2] living in the region, and women and girls comprise half of this. In our region, 287,000 women die yearly from childbirth and pregnancy-related causes[3]. Unsafe abortion is estimated to have caused 13% of all maternal deaths in South East Asia and in South Asia respectively[4]. About 2.3 million women in the region are hospitalised annually for treatment of complications from unsafe abortion[5].

About 63% of the adolescent pregnancies in the region are unintended[6] and with some Pacific countries having the highest in the world and with almost 1 in 10 girls becoming pregnant by the age of 16[7] in South and Southeast Asia. Adolescent pregnancies, although under-reported, continue to be a challenge in the Oceania, South Asia and South East Asia regions and contribute significantly to the burden of maternal mortality and unsafe abortions. In contexts, where abortion is legally accessible, it remains highly stigmatised and prevents women, especially young girls, to seek safe services and post-abortion care. Consequently, young girls are at a higher risk of abortion-related morbidity and mortality in many contexts[8].

The Asia Pacific region continues to have a poor record on gender equality, and without fully unleashing the power and potential of women and girls. Women and girls continue to share the reality of discrimination, prejudice, violence, and oppression. Gender gaps are wide in some of the countries in the region, with gaps in South Asia larger than any other region in the world. Lack of policies, legislations and strategies framing action on gender equality continues to impede women and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health services and their ability to exercise sexual and reproductive rights[9].

In the region, women and girls’ access to information and services is often restricted by narrow policies, practices, mind-sets, beliefs, and traditions that are rooted in structural inequalities and patriarchal notions that favour the control of men and boys over women and girls. These approaches perpetuate gender norms and notions of women’s bodies not being their own but the property of the state. These patriarchal notions are justified as socio-cultural and religious norms that use conservative and narrow interpretations to control their access to SRHR citing family “honour”, women’s reproductive role, and strengthening the following. Culture and religion are both dynamic, and there are progressive interpretations of religion, which do affirm, protect and fulfil the rights women and girls. Unfortunately in many societies, extreme interpretations of religion are utilised to place controls on women’s and girls’ rights[10], especially their SRHR.[11]

 

OUR ASKS

The rise in right-wing populism and conservatism stoked by religio-nationalism is evident in the Asia-Pacific region as well with certain governments taking regressive stances on women’s health and women’s rights. We have five key asks.

One,

we anticipate in the coming months the US government will dismantle commitments to gender equality and SRHR on all fronts, and that the access to safe abortion was only the first issue they started with. At stake are young people’s sexual and reproductive rights and access to SRH services, comprehensive sexuality education, access to modern contraceptives, LGBTIQ rights, and increase in adolescent pregnancies as well as early and forced marriages. We hope that with time and resources all of these critical SRHR issues will be covered by this initiative.

Two,

we anticipate that the rights discourse will also be severely undermined, and conservative governments in our part of the world will ride on this opportunity to further reduce their commitments to upholding human rights especially women’s rights and in particular sexual and reproductive rights. We hope that SHE DECIDES will also be able to support advocacy on human rights at national, regional and global levels on SRHR as the human rights framework is the conceptual framework which holds up the work we do.

Three,

while SRH service provision is a critical issue, it is equally important to support outreach, mobilization, and the capacity building of women and young people, so that as citizens they are able to move their communities, societies and governments to respect, promote and fulfill SRHR.

Four,

we hope that this fundraising initiative will also distribute resources equitably between INGOs and women led NGOs from the South, and enable that funding to reach the frontline NGOs who are able to defend these rights the best.

Five

and not least, we hope that funding considerations and decisions are made with the awareness that the Asia-Pacific region has needs and demands which are urgent and high, as thus should be prioritized.
______________________________________________________

 

[1] The rule requires foreign organisations to certify that they will not provide access to safe abortion or information about abortion funded by any source as a precondition for receiving U.S. funding. Trump’s version of the Global Gag Rule goes far beyond what was seen in the past – expanding its policy to all global health funding.
[2] http://www.unescap.org/our-work/social-development/population-dynamics
[3] http://www.maternityworldwide.org/the-issues/
[4] http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/75173/1/WHO_RHR_12.01_eng.pdf
[5] http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/storage/advfy/documents/youth-and-unsafe-abortion.pdf
[6] http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002435/243566E.pdf http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/storage/advfy/documents/youth-and-unsafe-abortion.pdf
[7] http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/maternal/adolescent_pregnancy/en/
[8]https://www.guttmacher.org/report/adolescent-womens-need-and-use-sexual-and-reproductive-health-services-developing-countrieshttps://www.guttmacher.org/report/adolescent-womens-need-and-use-sexual-and-reproductive-health-services-developing-countries
[9]http://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/B20%20Gender%20Equality%20Report%20v10-3-E%20(Final%20for%20web).pdf
[10] Shah, C. 2008. Hindu Fundamentalisms in India: Examining Impact and Responses by the Women’s Movements. ARROWs for Change, 14(1&2): 4-5. https://arrow.org.my/publications/AFC/v14n1&2.pdf
[11] Iqbal, S. 2008. Growing Fundamentalisms: A Grave Apprehension for Women’s Rights in Pakistan. ARROWs for Change, 14(1&2): 8-9. https://arrow.org.my/publications/AFC/v14n1&2.pdf

 

The Above Statement is Endorsed by:

 

  1. Naripokkho, Bangladesh
  2. PATH Foundation, Philippines
  3. Khan Foundation, Bangladesh
  4. Sindh Community Foundation, Pakistan
  5. Shirkat Gah Women’s Resource Centre, Pakistan
  6. Yayasan Jurnal Perempuan, Indonesia
  7. Women’s Rehabilitation Centre, Nepal
  8. University Health Sciences, Lao PDR
  9. Penita Initiatives, Malaysia
  10. Association Marocaine de Planification Familiale Bureau Central Rabat/Moroccan Family Planning Association (MFPA), Morocco
  11. Youth Advocacy Network (YAN), Pakistan
  12. Bargad, Pakistan
  13. Channan Development Association (CDA), Pakistan
  14. Coastal Development Partnership (CDP), Bangladesh
  15. AWAZ Foundation Pakistan: Centre for Development Services (AWAZCDS), Pakistan
  16. Arus Pelangi, Indonesia
  17. Likhaan Center for Women’s Health, Inc., Philippines
  18. Women and Media Collective, Sri Lanka
  19. SERAC, Bangladesh
  20. Huvadhoo Aid, Maldives
  21. Rutgers WPF, Pakistan
  22. Women’s Initiatives (WINS), India
  23. Me and My World Network, India
  24. YUWALAYA, Nepal
  25. LOOM, Nepal
  26. Beyond Beijing Committee (BBC), Nepal
  27. Sathi Sanga Man Ka Kura, Nepal
  28. RHStep, Bangladesh
  29. Empower, India
  30. Light House, Bangladesh
  31. WGNRR, Philippines
  32. Jagaran Media Center, Nepal
  33. Sangkalpa Trust  – Bangladesh
  34. Youth Association for Development (YAD), Pakistan
  35. VAAGDHARA, India
  36. Hill Grassroots Women Natural Resource Management, Bangladesh
  37. Aahung, Pakistan
  38. Youth Action, Nepal
  39. Bandhu Social Welfare Society, Bangladesh
  40. Unnayan Sangha, Bangladesh
  41. Child Society, Nepal
  42. House of Khameleon, Fiji
  43. Community Science Centre (CSC) Vadodara, India
  44. Nepal Disabled Women Association (NDWA), Nepal
  45. Dushtha Shasthya Kendra (DSK), Bangladesh
  46. Blue Veins, Pakistan
  47. TransAction KPK, Pakistan
  48. Family Planning Association of Bangladesh, Bangladesh
  49. Forum of Women’s NGOs, Kyrgyzstan
  50. Rural Poor Development Organization (RPDO), Bangladesh
  51. Association For Alternative Development (AFAD), Bangladesh
  52. Asia Catalyst, Asia Pacific Regional Office, Thailand
  53. CIDP Pakistan
  54. Rahnuma-Family Planning Association of Pakistan, Pakistan
  55. Association of Youth Organisations Nepal (AYON) (AYON is a network of 92 youth organisations in Nepal)
  56. Forum for Dignity Initiative (FDI), Pakistan
  57. ASECED, Bangladesh
  58. Yayasan Kesehatan Perempuan (Women’s Health Foundation – YKP), Indonesia
  59. CYDO, Bangladesh
  60. BMKS, Bangladesh
  61. Annesha Sama Seba Sango, Bangladesh
  62. Sisters In Islam, Malaysia
  63. JAGO NARI, Bangladesh
  64. Khpal Kore Organisation, Pakistan
  65. Centre for Community Economics and Development Consultants Society (CECOEDECON), India
  66. Public Advocacy Initiatives for Rights and Values in India (PAIRVI), India
  67. ASEAN Disability Forum (ADF)
  68. Centre for Sustainable Community Development (SCODE), Vietnam
  69. National Alliance of Women, India
  70. Mahila Dakshata Samiti, India
  71. Freedom Foundation-India
  72. Reproductive Health Association of Cambodia (RHAC), Cambodia
  73. Yunnan Health and Development Research Association (YHDRA), China
  74. Fiji Women’s Rights Movement, Fiji

Vietnam

  • Centre for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP)

Indonesia

  • Aliansi Satu Visi (ASV);
  • CEDAW Working Group;
  • Hollaback! Jakarta;
  • Institut Kapal Perempuan;
  • Kalyanamitra;
  • Komnas Perempuan;
  • Remaja Independen Papua/Independent Youth
    Forum Papua (FRIP/IYFP);
  • Perkumpulan Keluarga Berencana Indonesia (PKBI);
  • Perkumpulan Lintas Feminis Jakarta;
  • Perkumpulan Pamflet Generasi;
  • RUTGERS Indonesia;
  • Sanggar SWARA;
  • Women on Web;
  • Yayasan Kesehatan Perempuan (YKP); 
  • YIFOS Indonesia

Maldives

  • Hope for Women
  • Society for Health Education (SHE)
SheDecides 2017: ARROW and Partners Respond with their Asks for the Asia Pacific Region

ARROW and its partners from the Asia-Pacific region welcome the initiative by the governments of Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Belgium in support of the Global Fundraising Initiative SHE DECIDES. The initiative aims to enable women and girls all over the world to exercise their reproductive rights, including the right to access safe abortion services.

This is indeed a timely initiative following the reinstatement of the Mexico City Policy, also referred to as the Global Gag Rule, by President Trump[1]. As a result many organisations will not be able to provide lifesaving access to contraception services and information, maternal and neonatal health care, and HIV prevention and treatment. SHE DECIDES aims to increase financial and political support for sexual health, reproductive rights, and contraception across the globe and mitigate the impact of Global Gag Rule’s reinstatement.

During the last few months we have seen disturbing waves of populists, nationalist conservatism sweep across countries. This endangers women and girls and also our rights; further threatening human rights and development across the globe. Initiatives such as SHE DECIDES therefore have a critical role to play in alleviating its consequences and ensuring human rights of the most marginalised women and girls.

Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) is integral to achieving human rights of women and girls. They have to be taken in totality and not selectively. SRHR is an integral part of women and girls’ rights to be free from discrimination, coercion and violence, and enshrines the principles of bodily integrity, dignity, equality, and respect for diversity.

 

Asia-Pacific and its needs

The Asia-Pacific region is home to 4.5 billion people[2] living in the region, and women and girls comprise half of this. In our region, 287,000 women die yearly from childbirth and pregnancy-related causes[3]. Unsafe abortion is estimated to have caused 13% of all maternal deaths in South East Asia and in South Asia respectively[4]. About 2.3 million women in the region are hospitalised annually for treatment of complications from unsafe abortion[5].

About 63% of the adolescent pregnancies in the region are unintended[6] and with some Pacific countries having the highest in the world and with almost 1 in 10 girls becoming pregnant by the age of 16[7] in South and Southeast Asia. Adolescent pregnancies, although under-reported, continue to be a challenge in the Oceania, South Asia and South East Asia regions and contribute significantly to the burden of maternal mortality and unsafe abortions. In contexts, where abortion is legally accessible, it remains highly stigmatised and prevents women, especially young girls, to seek safe services and post-abortion care. Consequently, young girls are at a higher risk of abortion-related morbidity and mortality in many contexts[8].

The Asia Pacific region continues to have a poor record on gender equality, and without fully unleashing the power and potential of women and girls. Women and girls continue to share the reality of discrimination, prejudice, violence, and oppression. Gender gaps are wide in some of the countries in the region, with gaps in South Asia larger than any other region in the world. Lack of policies, legislations and strategies framing action on gender equality continues to impede women and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health services and their ability to exercise sexual and reproductive rights[9].

In the region, women and girls’ access to information and services is often restricted by narrow policies, practices, mind-sets, beliefs, and traditions that are rooted in structural inequalities and patriarchal notions that favour the control of men and boys over women and girls. These approaches perpetuate gender norms and notions of women’s bodies not being their own but the property of the state. These patriarchal notions are justified as socio-cultural and religious norms that use conservative and narrow interpretations to control their access to SRHR citing family “honour”, women’s reproductive role, and strengthening the following. Culture and religion are both dynamic, and there are progressive interpretations of religion, which do affirm, protect and fulfil the rights women and girls. Unfortunately in many societies, extreme interpretations of religion are utilised to place controls on women’s and girls’ rights[10], especially their SRHR.[11]

 

OUR ASKS

The rise in right-wing populism and conservatism stoked by religio-nationalism is evident in the Asia-Pacific region as well with certain governments taking regressive stances on women’s health and women’s rights. We have five key asks.

One,

we anticipate in the coming months the US government will dismantle commitments to gender equality and SRHR on all fronts, and that the access to safe abortion was only the first issue they started with. At stake are young people’s sexual and reproductive rights and access to SRH services, comprehensive sexuality education, access to modern contraceptives, LGBTIQ rights, and increase in adolescent pregnancies as well as early and forced marriages. We hope that with time and resources all of these critical SRHR issues will be covered by this initiative.

Two,

we anticipate that the rights discourse will also be severely undermined, and conservative governments in our part of the world will ride on this opportunity to further reduce their commitments to upholding human rights especially women’s rights and in particular sexual and reproductive rights. We hope that SHE DECIDES will also be able to support advocacy on human rights at national, regional and global levels on SRHR as the human rights framework is the conceptual framework which holds up the work we do.

Three,

while SRH service provision is a critical issue, it is equally important to support outreach, mobilization, and the capacity building of women and young people, so that as citizens they are able to move their communities, societies and governments to respect, promote and fulfill SRHR.

Four,

we hope that this fundraising initiative will also distribute resources equitably between INGOs and women led NGOs from the South, and enable that funding to reach the frontline NGOs who are able to defend these rights the best.

Five

and not least, we hope that funding considerations and decisions are made with the awareness that the Asia-Pacific region has needs and demands which are urgent and high, as thus should be prioritized.
______________________________________________________

 

[1] The rule requires foreign organisations to certify that they will not provide access to safe abortion or information about abortion funded by any source as a precondition for receiving U.S. funding. Trump’s version of the Global Gag Rule goes far beyond what was seen in the past – expanding its policy to all global health funding.
[2] http://www.unescap.org/our-work/social-development/population-dynamics
[3] http://www.maternityworldwide.org/the-issues/
[4] http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/75173/1/WHO_RHR_12.01_eng.pdf
[5] http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/storage/advfy/documents/youth-and-unsafe-abortion.pdf
[6] http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002435/243566E.pdf http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/storage/advfy/documents/youth-and-unsafe-abortion.pdf
[7] http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/maternal/adolescent_pregnancy/en/
[8]https://www.guttmacher.org/report/adolescent-womens-need-and-use-sexual-and-reproductive-health-services-developing-countrieshttps://www.guttmacher.org/report/adolescent-womens-need-and-use-sexual-and-reproductive-health-services-developing-countries
[9]http://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/B20%20Gender%20Equality%20Report%20v10-3-E%20(Final%20for%20web).pdf
[10] Shah, C. 2008. Hindu Fundamentalisms in India: Examining Impact and Responses by the Women’s Movements. ARROWs for Change, 14(1&2): 4-5. https://arrow.org.my/publications/AFC/v14n1&2.pdf
[11] Iqbal, S. 2008. Growing Fundamentalisms: A Grave Apprehension for Women’s Rights in Pakistan. ARROWs for Change, 14(1&2): 8-9. https://arrow.org.my/publications/AFC/v14n1&2.pdf

 

The Above Statement is Endorsed by:

 

  1. Naripokkho, Bangladesh
  2. PATH Foundation, Philippines
  3. Khan Foundation, Bangladesh
  4. Sindh Community Foundation, Pakistan
  5. Shirkat Gah Women’s Resource Centre, Pakistan
  6. Yayasan Jurnal Perempuan, Indonesia
  7. Women’s Rehabilitation Centre, Nepal
  8. University Health Sciences, Lao PDR
  9. Penita Initiatives, Malaysia
  10. Association Marocaine de Planification Familiale Bureau Central Rabat/Moroccan Family Planning Association (MFPA), Morocco
  11. Youth Advocacy Network (YAN), Pakistan
  12. Bargad, Pakistan
  13. Channan Development Association (CDA), Pakistan
  14. Coastal Development Partnership (CDP), Bangladesh
  15. AWAZ Foundation Pakistan: Centre for Development Services (AWAZCDS), Pakistan
  16. Arus Pelangi, Indonesia
  17. Likhaan Center for Women’s Health, Inc., Philippines
  18. Women and Media Collective, Sri Lanka
  19. SERAC, Bangladesh
  20. Huvadhoo Aid, Maldives
  21. Rutgers WPF, Pakistan
  22. Women’s Initiatives (WINS), India
  23. Me and My World Network, India
  24. YUWALAYA, Nepal
  25. LOOM, Nepal
  26. Beyond Beijing Committee (BBC), Nepal
  27. Sathi Sanga Man Ka Kura, Nepal
  28. RHStep, Bangladesh
  29. Empower, India
  30. Light House, Bangladesh
  31. WGNRR, Philippines
  32. Jagaran Media Center, Nepal
  33. Sangkalpa Trust  – Bangladesh
  34. Youth Association for Development (YAD), Pakistan
  35. VAAGDHARA, India
  36. Hill Grassroots Women Natural Resource Management, Bangladesh
  37. Aahung, Pakistan
  38. Youth Action, Nepal
  39. Bandhu Social Welfare Society, Bangladesh
  40. Unnayan Sangha, Bangladesh
  41. Child Society, Nepal
  42. House of Khameleon, Fiji
  43. Community Science Centre (CSC) Vadodara, India
  44. Nepal Disabled Women Association (NDWA), Nepal
  45. Dushtha Shasthya Kendra (DSK), Bangladesh
  46. Blue Veins, Pakistan
  47. TransAction KPK, Pakistan
  48. Family Planning Association of Bangladesh, Bangladesh
  49. Forum of Women’s NGOs, Kyrgyzstan
  50. Rural Poor Development Organization (RPDO), Bangladesh
  51. Association For Alternative Development (AFAD), Bangladesh
  52. Asia Catalyst, Asia Pacific Regional Office, Thailand
  53. CIDP Pakistan
  54. Rahnuma-Family Planning Association of Pakistan, Pakistan
  55. Association of Youth Organisations Nepal (AYON) (AYON is a network of 92 youth organisations in Nepal)
  56. Forum for Dignity Initiative (FDI), Pakistan
  57. ASECED, Bangladesh
  58. Yayasan Kesehatan Perempuan (Women’s Health Foundation – YKP), Indonesia
  59. CYDO, Bangladesh
  60. BMKS, Bangladesh
  61. Annesha Sama Seba Sango, Bangladesh
  62. Sisters In Islam, Malaysia
  63. JAGO NARI, Bangladesh
  64. Khpal Kore Organisation, Pakistan
  65. Centre for Community Economics and Development Consultants Society (CECOEDECON), India
  66. Public Advocacy Initiatives for Rights and Values in India (PAIRVI), India
  67. ASEAN Disability Forum (ADF)
  68. Centre for Sustainable Community Development (SCODE), Vietnam
  69. National Alliance of Women, India
  70. Mahila Dakshata Samiti, India
  71. Freedom Foundation-India
  72. Reproductive Health Association of Cambodia (RHAC), Cambodia
  73. Yunnan Health and Development Research Association (YHDRA), China
  74. Fiji Women’s Rights Movement, Fiji

Morocco

  • Association Marocaine de Planification Familiale (AMPF),
  • Morocco Family Planning Association

India

  • CommonHealth;
  • Love Matters India;
  • Pravah;
  • Rural Women’s Social Education Centre (RUWSEC);
  • SAHAYOG;
  • Sahaj;
  • Sahiyo;
  • SAMA – Resource Group for Women and Health;
  • WeSpeakOut;
  • The YP Foundation (TYPF)

Lao PDR

  • Lao Women’s Union;
  • The Faculty of Postgraduate Studies at the University of Health
    Sciences (UHS)

Sri Lanka

  • Bakamoono;
  • Women and Media Collective (WMC),
  • Youth Advocacy Network – Sri Lanka (YANSL)

Malaysia

  • Federation of Reproductive Health Associations of Malaysia (FRHAM);
  • Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG);
  • Justice for Sisters (JFS);
  • Reproductive Health Association of
    Kelantan (ReHAK);
  • Reproductive Rights Advocacy Alliance Malaysia (RRAAM);
  • Sisters in Islam (SIS)

Maldives

  • Hope for Women;
  • Society for Health Education (SHE)

Myanmar

  • Colourful Girls Organization;
  • Green Lotus Myanmar

Nepal

  • Beyond Beijing Committee (BBC);
  • Blind Youth Association of Nepal;
  • Blue Diamond Society (BDS);
  • Nepalese Youth for Climate Action (NYCA);
  • Visible Impact;
  • Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC);
  • YPEER Nepal;
  • YUWA

Pakistan

  • Aahung, Centre for Social Policy Development (CSPD);
  • Forum for Dignity Initiative (FDI);
  • Gravity Development Organization; Green Circle Organization;
  • Indus Resources Center (IRC);
  • Idara-e-Taleem-O-Aaghai (ITA);
  • Rehnuma – Family Planning Association Pakistan;
  • Shelter
    Participatory Organisation;
  • Shirkat Gah;
  • The Enlight Lab

Philippines

  • Democratic Socalist Women of the Philippines (DSWP);
  • Galang;
  • Healthcare Without Harm;
  • Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities;
  • Likhaan Centre for Women’s Health;
  • Nisa UI Haqq Fi Bangsamoro;
  • PATH Foundation Inc. (PFPI);
  • Women’s Global Network for
    Reproductive Rights (WGNRR)

Singapore

  • End Female Genital Cutting Singapore
  • Reproductive Rights (WGNRR)

Mongolia

  • MONFEMNET National Network