Sharing expertise in working groups

Working Group Session 1
Fixing the funds – How can sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) financing become more crisis-resilient?

Working Group Summary

The global Covid-19 pandemic has put pressure on national budgets for donors and countries alike. While they still have to cope with the effects of emergency programme funding and the associated subsequent budget cuts, the crisis in Ukraine has further exacerbated the budget situation as well as the overall economic situation in many countries. In light of lacking and further decreasing resources, SRHR services are often among the first to be neglected and deprioritised. During the working group session, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on financial resources and main factors for resilience were explored. Participants had the chance to discuss how financing for SRHR can become more resilient and which actions need to be taken to achieve this.

Highlights

Importance of data: Surprisingly, the latest research and data show no apparent large immediate impact of COVID-19 on overall contraceptive commodity funding, however there is a significant variation in impacts between and within countries. It is important to keep in mind that the situation on the ground might be hidden by aggregated data. In order to respond adequately, the experts identified a need to improve data and its use to really understand different impacts at country level as well as the drivers behind them.

Continued dependence on single donors: There is still a big dependence on a few donors for SRHR funding. This means that spending cuts by one country could have serious effects. Yet there is also potential for other countries and donors to step up.

Importance of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)/ advocates at global and international level: CSOs and advocates for SRHR are important to keep governments accountable and to raise awareness on the importance of family planning (FP) and needs to act – e.g., in case of commodity stock outs. In Zambia, for instance, advocates efforts to make stock outs visible consisted of raising awareness and promoting transparency between ministries of health, education and donors and involving stakeholders at the regional level. 

Use of telemedicine and innovative methods: Innovative methods have been explored in times of crisis and improved the situations of many people. For example, telemedicine and primary health care have been prioritized in Kenya to provide SRHR information to communities and strengthen the referral system. The participants also experienced increased innovation among organizations to ensure access to FP. It was agreed that there is a need to ensure access to services at all times.

Working Group Session 2
Saving Services – Building resilience to ensure continuity of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services in times of crises

Moderator: Dana Brandenburger, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

Working Group Summary

The availability of and access to SRH services, especially for the most vulnerable populations have been dramatically impaired by the COVID-19 pandemic. Closure of health facilities, re-prioritisation to an immediate COVID-19 response, scarcity of essential SRH commodities and supplies, lack of protective gear and equipment and restricted mobility have put great pressure on the continuity of SRH services. After two years of living with the pandemic, and adapting, innovating, and developing measures to ensure access to SRH services, this working group offered a space to share experiences, explore best practices and creative solutions on how to ensure continuity and build resilience of SRH services during times of crises.

Highlights

Potential of innovative technologies: Innovative technologies provide accessible, secure and discrete services and informational support even in adverse environments. In Latin America, the creation of a chatbot named Sophia ensured that women continued to receive safe abortion information and access to services during the pandemic. Young people can also be engaged through digital platforms as demonstrated in Kenya where an online platform provided youth with sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) information and counsellors. 

Civil Society as first responders: Being able to rely on partners in times of crisis is particularly important as they support efforts in communities and the continuous flow of resources. Civil Society is essential as first responders in times of crisis. For instance, during the pandemic, civil society actors helped in setting up a hotline in Latin America offering support for those affected by domestic violence and intimate partner violence during the pandemic. 

Build networks to save services and support individuals: Dialogue is key to building networks as exemplified in accompaniment networks for safe abortion in Latin America, youth centers in Kenya, and peer education in reproductive health. Ensuring continuous movements and connections is key since movements like the feminist movement have their own networks which help to ensure services even in times of crisis. Raising awareness among community leaders is also a central part of creating safe spaces where young people especially feel safe to have discussions and share information.

Security of commodities as a challenge: The challenge of allocating resources for SRHR during and after COVID underlines the importance of programming for the long term and keeping resources flexible. There is a need for ongoing investments in advocacy and action: this ensures equity in research and that marginalized and diverse populations are not overlooked.

Working Group Session 3
Reinforcing Rights - Ensuring Sexual and Reproductive Rights in times of crises

Moderator: Elizabeth Marks, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)

Working Group Summary

The COVID 19 pandemic has thrown into relief the fragility of hard-won gains on sexual and reproductive rights. Lockdowns and economic disruptions have greatly increased the incidence of gender-based violence and harmful practices, like child marriage and female genital mutilation. The pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll on young people, as they find themselves cut off from educational opportunities, including comprehensive sexuality education, at greater risk of human rights violations and with reduced access to health services. Patriarchal systems, limited resources, and discriminatory social norms, which are exacerbated in times of crisis, all govern the decisions and agency of youth, women and girls in all their diversity. Focusing on faith-based actors, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) this group looked at investing in building alliances and ways of working together to transform discriminatory social norms to promote bodily autonomy, agency, and rights.

Highlights

SRHR entry points for faith-based actors: To engage faith-based actors, it is important to emphasize the overlap between the values of religion and SRHR: justice, ethical and moral norms, self-determination, liberation and dignity are all religious values that are also essential to ensuring SRHR. 

Importance of partnerships between secular and faith-based actors: Efforts should focus on engaging with and investing in certain faith-based actors and messages. Building partnerships between international agencies and faith-based organizations as well as between secular movements, feminists and faith-based actors should also be a central focus. Here, the potential of faith-based actors to mediate between faith based and secular movements must be recognized. It is crucial to acknowledge that actors are diverse and that engagement is not one size fits all. 

Break down power dynamics: In order to dismantle patriarchal structures and affirm voices in the communities, it is key to engage with individuals in their spaces. Dialogue can be encouraged in these spaces by using shared language or information, understanding, engagement through lived experiences and peer-to-peer learning.