Back to Index

Sexual reproductive health rights for young women on the International Women's Day
Students and Youth Working on Reproductive Health Action Team (SAYWHAT)
March 09, 2011

The 8th of March 2011 marks the century of the commemoration of the International Women's Day. The great question of the day is what has decades and decades of fighting for women's empowerment and rights achieved for the young women in Zimbabwe. SAYWHAT joins the rest of the World in commemorating the International Women's Day running under the theme, "Equal access to education training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women".

The unrealized sexual and reproductive health rights and needs of women continue to be barriers to equal access towards education and decent work. Young women in tertiary institutions continue to have their social welfare and completion of studies threatened by limited access to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services and the realization and enforcement of their rights. Economic marginalization often results in young women involved in transactional sex, intergenerational sex, and multiple concurrent relationships that increase their risks of STIs including HIV and gender-based violence. Lack of sexual and reproductive health services such as access to sexuality education, information on contraceptive methods often result in unintended pregnancies, STIs including HIV, and other related complications of unsafe abortions.

60% of the people living with HIV in Southern Africa are women, the largest population of these being women between the ages of 15 and 24. The realization of women's sexual and reproductive health rights will contribute to HIV prevention, access to sexual reproductive health services including treatment which allows for positive living among women. It is our call that we offer essential services that ensure women to live long, healthy and fulfilling lives with opportunities to flourish in higher education and have decent work.

Dr Margaret Chan, director general of World Health Organization (WHO), in her statement of International Women's Day emphasized that although "many advances have been made" more needs to be done in regards to "social and legal reforms regarding the minimum age of marriage and sexual consent; access to safe abortion services (where legal), contraception, mammograms and other health technologies, and progress towards ending harmful practices such as sexual and gender based violence . . . "

SAYWHAT advocates for the availability and access to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services as well as policies that reflect and protect the sexual and reproductive health rights of young men and women in tertiary institutions. This struggle needs to be cemented by government's action to recognise and implement regional and international policies that protect the sexual and reproductive health rights of young people, and young women in particular.

Only when young women's sexual and reproductive health rights are respected and met will they achieve equal access and opportunity for higher education and decent work.

Visit the SAYWHAT fact sheet

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

TOP