Advocacy for SRHR

What are sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) ?

·        Sexual health: Includes healthy sexual development, equitable and responsible relationships and sexual fulfilment, freedom from illness, disease, disability, violence and other harmful practices related to sexuality.

·        Sexual rights:  the rights of all people to decide freely and responsibly on all aspects of their sexuality, including protecting and promoting their sexual health, be free from discrimination, coercion or violence in their sexual lives and in all sexual decisions, expect and demand equality, full consent, mutual respect and shared responsibility in sexual relationships. We also have the right to say ‘no’ to sex if we do not want it.

·        Reproductive health: The complete physical, mental and social well-being in all matters related to the reproductive system including a satisfying and safe sex life, capacity to have children and, freedom to decide if, when and how often to do so.

·        Reproductive rights: The rights of couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children, to have the information, education and means to do so, attain the highest standards of sexual and reproductive health and, make decisions about reproduction free of discrimination, coercion and violence

Adapted from definitions of SRR from the programme for action resulting from the

International Conference on Population Development (ICPD), 1994.

What are the 12 SRHR??

1. The right to life should be invoked to protect women whose lives are currently endangered by pregnancy.
   
2. The right to liberty and security of the person should be invoked to protect women currently at risk from genital mutilation, or subject to forced pregnancy, sterilization or abortion.
   
3. The right to equality and to be free from all forms of discrimination should be invoked to protect the right of all people, regardless of race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family position, age, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status, to equal access to information, education and services related to development, and to sexual and reproductive health.
   
4. The right to privacy should be invoked to protect the right of all clients of sexual and reproductive health care information, education and services to a degree of privacy, and to confidentiality with regard to personal information given to service providers.
   
5. The right to freedom of thought should be invoked to protect the right of all persons to access to education and information related to their sexual and reproductive health free from restrictions on grounds of thought, conscience and religion.
   
6. The right to information and education should be invoked to protect the right of all persons to access to full information on the benefits, risks and effectiveness of all methods of fertility regulation, in order that any decisions they take on such matters are made with full, free and informed consent.
   
7. The right to choose whether or not to marry and to found and plan a family should be invoked to protect all persons against any marriage entered into without the full, free and informed consent of both partners.
   
8. The right to decide whether or when to have children should be invoked to protect the right of all persons to reproductive health care services which offer the widest possible range of safe, effective and acceptable methods of fertility regulation, and are accessible, affordable, acceptable and convenient to all users.
   
9. The right to health care and health protection should be invoked to protect the right of all persons to the highest possible quality of health care, and the right to be free from traditional practices which are harmful to health.
   
10. The right to the benefits of scientific progress should be invoked to protect the right of all persons to access to available reproductive health care technology which independent studies have shown to have an acceptable risk/benefit profile, and where to withhold such technology would have harmful effects on health and well-being.
    
11. The right to freedom of assembly and political participationshould be invoked to protect the right to form an association which aims to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights.
    
12. The right to be free from torture and ill treatment should be invoked to protect children, women and men from all forms of sexual violence, exploitation and abuse.

Source: www.wpfpak.org

How many people know about this in Pakistan? How many people know about 

the work being done and by whom on SRHR?

The SRHR situation and awareness still needs time to make its way to the masses. However, the work must go on.

On 1st October, I got the chance to host Mr. Qadeer Baig, Country Head World Population Fund (WPF) at SZABIST, Karachi to discuss the SRHR Situation in Pakistan.

WPF is an internationally organization investing in young people's development and health.

WPF-Pakistan's vision is to develop as a regional resource for promoting Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of young people for sustainable human development. And it's mission is  to work to improve the quality of life of young people in Pakistan by promoting:

• Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)
• Awareness of the importance of SRHR for sustainable human development
• Understanding of the central role of reproductive health in “population and development” issues

Mr. Qadeer Baig held a very informative session talking about SRHR and discussing us the situation in Pakistan. Learning from such people working for the benefit of the society is essential for it's development and the gap between the youth and the knowledge of such experienced people surely needed to be bridged.

Look forward to working on SRHR and with Mr.Qadeer Baig in the future InshaAllah :)

2nd Sindh Youth Summit (SYS): An amazing experience

2^nd Sindh Youth Summit (SYS) 2010 was a 3-day conference on the theme of ‘Re-Living Youth Voices’. It was organized by PYDN, a youth network operating in all four provinces of Pakistan and as it was held in Karachi, I was the Team Lead for the event being PYDN's Karachi Coordinator. 

It was my first experience for organizing a mega event like that of a 3-day conference and the organizing was an amazing, learning experience as I got acquainted with all the tasks of organizing and being a part of so many activities with such energetic youth was a highly motivating experience. It also came in as a huge challenge in many ways especially to do it in Ramadan and with little time left after the flood relief efforts. Hence, the victory tasted sweeter and the efforts turned out to be highly fruitful.

This youth activity-based interactive conference attracted 70 participants from all over Sindh within the age bracket of 17-25 years old. The event was sponsored by Getz Pharma and the official media partners for the event were DAWN News, City FM 89 and Zab FM 106.6.

The Chief guests for the opening and closing ceremony were Mr. Badr-ud-din Khan, Chairman Rozgar Microfinance Bank, Mr. Zahoor Khan Afghan, Marketing and Management consultant Mehran Tv and Mrs. Aliya Soomro, Senior Social worker and former banker. The conference was focused on leadership building and skill development among youth. Trainers who gave sessions at the conference were from School of Leadership (SoL), Nawabshah Youth Organization (NYO), Initiator Human Development Forum, Blitz Bureau and SZABIST graduate/students/faculty. Topics covered ranged from emerging young leadership from marginalized areas, youth-led entrepreneurship, effective social networking usages, branding Pakistan, role of youth and nation-building among Pakistani youth through group activities, presentations and performances.

The three-day summit was concluded leaving the participants with inspiring thoughts to think about themselves and their country, play their part and pursue their goals with a lot more passion and devotion.

The most awesome part is the feedback which actually reward all your efforts. When a participant says they learnt and had an amazing time, the feeling is priceless and kills away all the sleepless nights and tiresome days in an instant.

Conferences surely do magic, bring about youth from diverse backgrounds together, who may never come across each other otherwise and help practical learn so much in such a less time with fun activities and interaction. They are hence promoted and done worldwide. We can witness the increase in their number and frequency in Pakistan in terms of occurrence and participation which is a very positive sign.

Thank you PYDN Team, each participant and trainer of 2nd SYS 2010 for precious, priceless memories!