Promoting Reproductive Rights through Culturally Sensitive

Approaches

Presentation to UNFPA Executive Committee

Makane Kane and Faustin YaoNew York, 13 May 2004

“It is my aspiration that health finally will be seen not as a

blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought

for”

Kofi A. AnnanUN Secretary General

“Social and cultural realities present challenges, and also opportunities, for advancing

development goals and human rights”

Thoraya A. ObaidExecutive Director, UNFPA

Objectives of the Accra Retreat …

• To reach a common understanding about human rights, the linkages between culturally sensitive, rights-based approaches, and the implications for programming in the Africa region;

• To share experiences and lessons in order to promote bridges and partnerships ;

• To contribute Africa’s perspective to the operationalization of culturally sensitive, rights-based approaches.

Objectives of the Accra Retreat

• To draw on the expertise and experience of participants

• To encourage and support programmes to integrate cultural perspectives more– deliberately– systematically and – strategically

in the implementation of ICPD Programme of Action and the rights principles on which it is based

Background Materials

• ED’s Policy note on Implementing a Human Right-based approach to programming

• TSD’s guidance note on Rights-based programming

• Four academic publications by Prof. Abdu Na’im (Emory University, USA)

• One research report by Prof. Paul Nkwi and his team

• Contributions by Retreat participants

Conceptual Framework Two Major Dimensions of Human Rights• Civil and Political Rights• Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights

– Right to Education– Right to Health– Right to Work– Right to Housing– Right to Food– Right to participate in the cultural life of

the community– etc.

Conceptual frameworkSocial transformation

• Social dynamics evolve from tension and mediation/resolution of tension at different levels

• Global vs national• National vs community• Community vs individual

Conceptual frameworkSocial transformation

• The “human rights system” is supposed to provide an independent and authoritative standard for regulating the respective rights of persons and communities precisely because it is founded on global consensus and cooperation

• But, since the “system” neither has authority nor ability for coercive enforcement, it does not relieve us from the need to persuade and secure the cooperation of a variety of social actors

Social transformation:Tension resolution/mediation• The way to mediate these tensions is to rely

upon the internal dynamics of change within the religious or cultural traditions

• The approach assumes that every religious or cultural tradition is open to a variety of interpretations, some of which are favorable to human rights

• The object is of the approach is:– to transform rather than to displace or to discard

cultural traditions from within, by using their own dynamics of change;

– To engage social leadership rather than attempt to dispense with it completely.

Examples of Tension Areas Poverty Reduction• Public services often seen as

privileges and not rights• Promotion of women economic

autonomy perceived as a threat

Examples of Tension AreasRH and Reproductive Rights• Tensions between individual and

collective rights• Male tendency to control women’s

sexuality and health decisions

Examples of Tension Areas ASRH• Existing policies not operationalised• Laws not always enforced• Communities not perceiving early

marriage to be a problem• Early marriage used as poverty

reduction strategy by families and communities

Examples of Tension Areas ASRH• Existing policies not operationalised• Laws not always enforced• Communities not perceiving early

marriage to be a problem• Early marriage used as poverty

reduction strategy by families and communities

Examples of Tension Areas Gender

• Contradiction between customary and modern laws

• Household tension due to the tendency of male partners to control women financial resources

Examples of Tension Areas HIV/AIDS

• Traditional practices, customs, norms that enhance vulnerability to HIV infection

• Community pressure & stigma on HIV affected persons including breast-feeding mothers

Operationalising the Framework

Programming

Capacity building within UNFPA

Capacity building in communities

Operationalising the Framework

Evaluation

Pre-design

Implementation

Design

Operationalising the FrameworkProgramme Development• Pre design phase

– Findings of the evaluation of last programme – Examining socio cultural research, including

that pertaining to Gender and Human Rights issues - on the areas to be covered with the new programme

– Undertaking additional research using the Rapid Appraisal Procedures (RAP).

– Review guidelines and ensure that they are based on the synergy among – Culture, Gender and Human Rights

Operationalising the FrameworkProgramme Development

– CCA• Orientation/Training of participating UNFPA

Personnel• Building on existing mechanisms (thematic

Groups)• Create new groups (where needed) on

culture, gender, HR

– PRSP• Where there is a PRSP, the CCA exercise

should be lighter. However if need be, UNFPA to undertake additional situational analyses for programming and advocacy purposes.

Operationalising the FrameworkProgramme Development

– CCA• Orientation/Training of participating UNFPA

Personnel• Building on existing mechanisms (thematic

Groups)• Create new groups (where needed) on

culture, gender, HR

– PRSP• Where there is a PRSP, the CCA exercise

should be lighter. However if need be, UNFPA to undertake additional situational analyses for programming and advocacy purposes.

Operationalising the FrameworkProgramme Development• Implementation

– Qualitative and quantitative indicators on GCHR to be monitored

– UNDAF Monitoring/plan and UNDAF MTR (strategic moment to ensure GCHR are fully taken into account)

– Revision of project design to enhance synergy among, Culture, Gender, Human Rights.

• Evaluation– Final programme review (guidelines to be

revisited)– Identification of new challenges vis-à-vis Culture,

Gender and Human Rights (including lessons learnt)

Capacity-building within UNFPAI. Common understanding of

concepts– Knowledge sharing– Harmonization of concepts– Guidelines/Tools development

Capacity-building within UNFPAII. Develop state of the art expertise• Assess available expertise in house

– On the job training of staff– Recruitment when necessary

• Facilitate the implementation of the new cultural framework by adapting it to the country reality

• Use all opportunities to integrate human rights base approach

• E-learning

Capacity-building within UNFPAIII. Build knowledge assets• Documentation• Data bank• Networking• ITC

Capacity-building in Communities1. Policy development• Community ownership and commitment

are central to sustainability • Gradually move focus from ‘needs’ to

‘rights’ approach. This means: – promoting awareness of rights; – assisting individuals and communities to

express, claim and exercise their rights; and – monitoring the achievement of rights

Capacity-building in Communities2. Process• Listening, understanding community

issues• Be sensitive to entry points and

avoid alignment with oppressive forces

• Build upon favorable local power structures and find constructive/innovative ways to work with oppressive forces

Capacity-building in Communities3. Empowering approaches • Community members to be actively

involved in the situational analysis (people’s perception, knowledge of rights, gender issues, etc)

• Strengthen community members’ capacity to interpret international human rights standards as they relate to their own cultural framework

• Strengthen community members’ capacity to monitor the enforcement of human rights related policies and laws within their own cultural framework

The way forward …

General recommendations (GDs, COs, CSTs)

• Create an enabling environment for the implementation of the approach

• Mobilize political, technical and financial support for the implementation of the approach at all levels

• Conduct regional consultations on the approach based on field experiences

The way forward …

General recommendations Africa Division

• Mobilize of political support for the integration of the approach into the Africa Social Platform of Action and other international declarations

The way forward …• Policy and Advocacy

– Build consensus among UNFPA Executive Committee and Senior Management

– Integrate culture gender and rights messages into all statements, discussions, documents:• Executive Board• Donors• Country Governments and Parliamentarians• UN SG• Senior management Group (UN) / UN Chief

Executive Board• UNDG • NGOs

The way forward …

• Programmatic recommendations– Establish an internal mechanism (e.g., a

time-bound taskforce to lead internal discussions and dialogue on culture, gender and rights approach)• All units• Clear objectives and benchmarks• Monitoring and evaluation within 12 months

– Identify and incorporate sociocultural research findings related to gender and rights aspects in the programming process

The way forward

• Strengthen the CGHR Branch• Secure programme Committee

approval of the UNFPA framework on integrating culture, gender and human rights into population and RH programmes

• Organize similar retreats in other regions as planned:– DASE: September 2004– ASIA and Pacific: November 2004