CCYDN Submission - FCDO’s Approach to Sexual and Reproductive Health
Commonwealth Children & Youth Disability Network Submission - FCDO’s Approach to Sexual and Reproductive Health
To whom it may concern,
Thank you for the opportunity to submit evidence on this important aspect of global development work by the FCDO.
Summary:
About the Commonwealth Children & Youth Disability Network
The Commonwealth Children & Youth Disability Network (CCYDN), is a disabled youth-led network providing a platform for disabled youth to connect, share learning, develop leadership and advocacy skills and knowledge to influence on disability rights, inclusion UNCRC and UNCRPD implementation at national, regional and global levels.
CCYDN represents a strong united voice of disabled children and young people across the Commonwealth. As an affiliated Commonwealth Youth Network, CCYDN is part of the Commonwealth Youth Programme along with 13 other thematic youth networks. CCYDN membership includes Youth Led DPO’s (YDPO), DPO’s, NGO’s and individuals comprising of representation of 38 Commonwealth countries.
Reason for Submitting Evidence
FCDO's work, programs, and funding for SRHR (sexual and reproductive health rights) of women and girls in lower-income countries impact young women and girls with disabilities, aligning with CCYDN's mission.
CCYDN has advocated for improving access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) for young women and girls with disabilities. Women and girls with disabilities must be able to make decisions about their sexuality and reproduction, with support to ensure their voluntary and informed consent when needed
In 2023, CCYDN, in partnership with Include Me TOO, the Global Network of Young People with Disabilities, and Minority Rights Group International, relaunched the Global Disability Children and Young People’s Charter (GDCYPC) 2023 Revision.
Full charter here: https://includemetoo.org.uk/latest-news/2023/global-disability-children-and-young-peoples-charter-2023-call-for-action/
Commitment 13 in the Global Disability Children and Young People’s Charter (2023) addresses the SRHR of young women and girls with disabilities, while Commitment 12 emphasizes the importance of disaggregated data collection to understand marginalization. CCYDN underscores the significance of these recommendations, as commitments that organizations can endorse, in advancing the SRHR of young women and girls.
GDCYPC Commitment 12: Collect disaggregated data to understand children and young peoples’ disability experiences through intersectional lens.
GDCYPC Commitment 13: Ensure access to inclusive health and social care
● Acknowledge the health and social care inequalities experienced by children and young people and our families.
● Enhance health and social care support, affordability, access to medication, equipment, adaptions, advice, accessible care, treatment, information, nutrition, and proper sanitation.
● Ensure children and young people with disabilities and our parents and caregivers have access and support to complete the CCYDN Hospital Communication Passport. This provides vital information for hospital and medical centres regarding how to support children and young people with disabilities access needs, their communication, sensory, physical, and personal care needs, safety, and dignity.
● Provide young women and girls with disabilities support with menstrual health, hygiene, and access to sexual and reproductive health rights.
Evidence responses summary:
Efforts have been made to realize SRHR rights in lower income countries, but gaps remain that need to be addressed for full realization of these rights. Disaggregated data collection, including women's disability status as determined by the Washington Group short or extended set, is crucial for understanding and addressing the SRHR needs of women with disabilities. The impact of the digital divide on access to digital programs supporting SRHR for women with disabilities should not be overlooked. Approaches should not be siloed, and efforts should be made to ensure that women with disabilities are included in SRH programs and have equitable access to services and information.
CCYDN urges the FCDO to implement recommendations from the World Federation of the Deafblind's Second Global Report3 to promote the realization of SRHR for deafblind women and girls. (Referring to page 104 of the report for specific recommendations).
CCYDN supports the recommendations on page 104: Efforts should be made to train healthcare workers on communication methods and equal treatment for persons with deaf blindness in SRH services, including addressing abuse prevention, fertility sterilization awareness, and stigma. Local government officials should also be trained to raise awareness and include persons with deaf blindness in local programs. Family members and teachers should be trained on supporting SRH decisions, and SRH education should be integrated into early education programs with comprehensive content. Persons with deaf blindness should be included in decision-making about their SRH needs, and financial support for livelihoods should be provided. Media outreach should raise community awareness on key factors linked to SRHR for persons with deaf blindness, such as access to water, mobility, communication, and orientation support.
● Contraceptive supplies and healthcare services
Kenya (Sandra Nyawira):
Contraceptive provision in health facilities is important, but it should be accompanied by capacity building for healthcare providers on integrating intersectionality in SRHR services. Many providers have biases towards certain groups, such as persons with disabilities, which can discourage young people from seeking SRHR services due to negative attitudes. This issue can be addressed through awareness and inclusion training for healthcare providers in Kenya.
Lack of accessibility and disability mainstreaming among healthcare providers contributes to increased cases of unwanted pregnancies, STIs, and other challenges among young persons with disabilities. A multi-sectoral approach is needed to ensure accessible contraceptives and to integrate the needs of persons with disabilities in service provision.
● Family planning education and information programmes to communities
Kenya (Sandra Nyawira):
Low-income countries face challenges in accessing family planning information due to limited technology, as much of it is conveyed through digital spaces. Additionally, traditional forms of family planning promoted by indigenous cultures may no longer be effective in today's society.
Capacity building of gatekeepers in these societies can promote modern family planning methods to vulnerable groups, as they are trusted and can integrate new approaches. This promotes bodily autonomy and SRHR.
● Information programmes to tackle practices that damage the sexual and reproductive health of women and girls, such as FGM maternity services and support for new-borns, including ending preventable deaths
Kenya (Sandra Nyawira):
Progress has been made in raising awareness and reducing harmful practices like FGM, as seen in the Kenya demographic health survey 2023. However, maternal and neonatal mortalities persist in lower income countries due to healthcare provider ignorance in handling persons with disabilities. Reports indicate loss of lives among deaf persons due to language barriers during childbirth, highlighting the need for sign language interpretation in healthcare facilities.
Healthcare providers need sensitization on handling persons with disabilities in SRHR matters, including accessibility of facilities and services such as braille, sign language interpreters, and other accessibility measures. This ensures efficient access to SRH information and services for persons with disabilities.
Caribbean & Latin America (Selena Jn Baptiste):
As a woman with a disability in the Caribbean, contraceptives supplies, such as birth control medication and barrier methods, are easily accessible.
The St Lucia Pharmacy Association's recent enforcement of prescriptions for all forms of the birth control pill has faced strong public disapproval. Previously, women and girls over 16 could purchase the pill over the counter, but this change creates financial strain due to the cost of doctor's visits and prescriptions every few months, leading to concerns about decreased accessibility.
Current Planned Parenthood services offers low to no-cost services, including oral contraceptives, family planning, sterilization, and STI screenings. However, there is a need for increased sensitization and understanding of Planned Parenthood's services and operations among the public to uplift its image and promote access to these services.
2. Is the FCDO’s work in this area sufficiently integrated with other areas of programming, such as national health systems strengthening, nutrition and girls’ education?
Caribbean & Latin America (Selena Jn Baptiste):
This issue may be more pronounced in the wider Caribbean and Latin America region.1,2 Data on the prevalence of these issues among women and girls with disabilities is insufficient. Increased data collection is crucial for the FCDO to effectively support vulnerable women and girls, improve health systems, and enhance sexual and reproductive health education.
3. Does the FCDO’s new global Women and Girls strategy sufficiently address sexual and reproductive health?
Feedback on the FCDO ‘International women and girls strategy 2023 to 2030’ policy paper.
Principles:
Greater emphasis on multidimensional marginalization/disadvantage is needed in the 5 principles of the strategy to adequately address the SRH of young women and girls with disabilities. The preamble acknowledges this well, but specific reference within the principles to multiple dimensions of disadvantage is required to avoid a siloed approach.
Goals:
Goal 1: No specific feedback.
Goal 2: Lead by example. Women and girls at the centre of FCDO’s operations, and investment
Disaggregated Data:
- CCYDN applauds FCDO for incorporating specific measures to enhance the monitoring, collection, and utilization of disaggregated data.
- Disaggregated data is vital for understanding gender and disability dynamics in society, and CCYDN considers it essential for development programs.
Grassroots WRO support:
- CCYDN commends FCDO for supporting WROs focused on disabilities and minority rights to operate effectively and grow.
Support for women with disabilities in humanitarian emergencies:
- CCYDN commends FCDO for including specific references to supporting women with disabilities, safe access to abortion, comprehensive sexuality education, and prioritizing SRHR in humanitarian emergencies.
Marginalised Lived-Experience:
- CCYDN commends FCDO on including specific reference to ‘representation from women and girls from communities who have been marginalised’ in relation to the membership of the ‘External Gender Challenge Board of experts’.
- Acknowledging that all women face some form of marginalisation, CCYDN encourages more specific wording such as that used on page 10 of the policy paper, along the lines of women facing ‘multiple, overlapping forms of discrimination’ and/or marginalisation.
- CCYDN commends FCDO on establishing the ‘External Gender Challenge Board of experts’ as an accountability mechanism for the implementation of FCDO policies in this area.
Goal 3: Lead through knowledge. A new Expertise, Evidence and Research Offer
Reporting:
- CCYDN commends FCDO on tracking Goals and commitments through results-focused reporting (outcomes not output-focused reporting).
General format:
Case Studies -
The format of the policy paper of a case study every 1-2 pages is visually engaging to read in the pdf version, however when the pdf is converted into a word document format the colour background of the case study sections is lost and it is difficult to distinguish what is case study and what is part of the actual goals and principles of the policy paper. The case studies may be better placed at the end to reduce the length of the paper and improve readability.
Numbering -
It would be good to have the bullet points under the goals numbered (e.g. a-z) as referring to a specific bullet point in feedback is more efficient if it is numbered.
Commitments -
The bullet points under the goals are not clearly identified as commitments, greater clarity could be made around what is a background statement and what is a commitment in the document.
Sources referred to in text:
Acknowledgements:
The CCYDN Policy & Research Team (Adina, Dan and Tim) expresses gratitude to Sandra Nyawira, Selena Jn Baptiste, and Shrutilata Singh for their valuable input in the development of this submission.
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