Signing of agreement Right Here Right Now (RHRN) Partnership an important step towards improvement of young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights in Africa, Asia and Latin America
On Thursday 19 November an agreement has been signed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Right Here Right Now Partnership, an alliance of four Dutch NGOs and three networks from the South, all working in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights. The partnership aims at better information and education and access to comprehensive youth friendly services through sustainable policy changes. A little over € 34,6 million has been made available for this 5-year programme, that will be executed in eleven countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Sexuality and relationships are often overshadowed by taboos and health risks in many countries. By policy influencing the Right Here Right Now partnership will put all its efforts into young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights, with a focus on girls and young women, lesbian women, gay men, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT). Crucial priorities in this programme are: helping young people get better access to sexuality education and health care, and helping them to live a life free of stigma, discrimination and violence. It is crucial that young people’s voices will be heard.
Support
The Partnership supports national cooperation networks in 11 countries, facilitates plans of action developed by local organisations and strengthens the international cooperation aimed at policy influencing. The programme monitors whether international agreements are being observed in the countries where the programme is carried out.
Partners
The Right Here Right Now partnership includes Rutgers, Choice for youth and sexuality, dance4life, Hivos, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and 3 networks in the South: IPPF AR, ARROW, LACWHN. By working together they aim at increasing cooperation between different social organisations at national, local and international level and capacity building of policy influencing.
Policy framework
The partnership falls under the policy framework Dialogue and Dissent formulated by Minister Ploumen in which 25 partnerships of social organisations cooperate with the Ministry to capacity strengthening of NGOs in low and middle income countries with regard to policy influencing. Focus of policy influencing is essential to appeal to governmental organisations and companies to show their responsibility and thus contribute to sustainable development and decreasing inequality.
Eleven countries
The Strategic Partnership between the Ministry and the Right Here Right Now! Alliance will be started up in Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Senegal), Asia (Indonesia, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh) and Latin-America (Bolivia, Honduras and the Caribbean). Cooperation between organisations offers the chance of joint policy influencing at national, local and international level and will thus improve its effectivity.
(Photo from http://www.rutgers.international)
