Policy implementation vital in Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights equity

• There are piles of policies the state is yet to implement on SRHR.
• Media plays a key role in sensitization, calling to account those responsible, and setting the agenda on sexual education.
• Only 5.2 million out of 26 million adult women have access to family planning. 

Kenya stands 3rd worldwide in cases of teenage pregnancies, which is attributed to limited access to knowledge for women and girls’ sexual and reproductive health and rights.

The knowledge gaps hinder the parties from claiming their Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) from the government and health facilities in the country.

Even as leadership gaps such as lack of electives to represent sexual rights in parliament continue to steal from what each human is inherently entitled to, different organizations have joined hands to make people conscious of their sexual rights.

The intersectional lens

Limited access to SRHR is not a one-factor barrier but rather overlapping vulnerabilities.

The Make Way program, by the Cheshire Disability Services Kenya (CDSK), has identified problems facing youth between 15 and 24 years, minority communities and youth living with disabilities.

The organization is coming up with innovative solutions to bring change.

On April 12, 2023, in collaboration with Amref Health Africa, Make Way held a sensitization training for journalists and related stakeholders on sensitive SRHR reporting. The one-day training was held in Nairobi.

During the event, the consortium’s Advocacy Officer, Faustine Chepchirchir, noted that access to age-appropriate sex education is a challenge brought about by various factors.

Such include religion, geographical location, class, and culture, among others.

“Different factors intertwine and lead to underprivilege when it comes to access to SRHR; the more the factors, the lower the privilege,” she explained.

Chepchirchir further expanded the need for all, including the minority communities, to access comprehensive sexuality education, which helps them make informed decisions regarding their sexual needs.

“Basically, Make Way is championing for human rights by working together with the youth in rural communities and those with disabilities to ensure that basic rights such as access to contraceptives and sexual education are met without discrimination,” expounded the advocacy officer.

Policy changes needed

Realizing Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights in Kenya might be a myth as there are a lot of policies that the state is yet to fulfill.

Despite the efforts made by individual health organizations such as the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF), the government needs to implement the existing bills to complement these efforts.

The hot discussion in the session revealed that lack of representatives in political leadership and little-to-no funding from the government as the main impediments to SRHR’s success.

Kennedy Abott, a Policy Analyst and SRHR Advocate currently working in SRHR philanthropy, was the keynote speaker during the training.

He noted that the SRHR agenda is stagnant because many perceive it as a women’s issue, which causes traction when brought in a space comprising of both men and women.

“Something has to work for the basic sexual rights of everyone to be considered. We are moving from being a third-world country to a middle-income economy, meaning that at some point, we shall not depend on donor loans. The government, therefore, has to start setting funds aside for this issue,” Abott suggested.

While contributing on the same matter, Emmanuel Barare, a member of the Make Way Youth Panel, suggested the parties involved need to identify strong legislators within the government who can rally the agenda forward.

“Identifying the perfect government representative or legislator would be a great primary step in implementing the SRHR policies; they need to have a mindset that can carry and drive the implementation process forward,” Barare contributed.

However, the journalists identified the limited access to SRHR as a recurring problem that has, over the years, faced various challenges and made its course grueling.

“The process of money allocation to different projects is long, a Bill has to be passed in the Senate, then tabled to the Members of Parliament in the National Assembly which all boils down to be policy makers who represent the issue. It must be an agenda worth fighting for,” Mary Wangari, a Health and Science journalist at Nation Media Group, pointed out.

Wangari attributed this to Senator Gloria Orwoba’s unsuccessful sanitary towels provision bill.

The Nominated Senator was kicked out of a senate plenary session to go and change dressing after she showed up in a white ‘blood-stained’ suit.

Proposed, unimplemented policies

Former president Uhuru Kenyatta, in 2017, signed The Basic Amendment Act, which guaranteed all school-going girls of free sanitary products.

However, the budget was slashed almost by half from KSh470 million to KSh260 million. 

The budget cut and inflation has made pads more inaccessible to adult school-going girls.

Kenya’s restrictive abortion law is regulated by Article 26 of the 2010 Constitution. 

However, it needs a reformation to allow safe and legal access to abortion services for women and girls who face unintended pregnancies or are victims of sexual violence. 

This includes ensuring that health facilities are equipped and trained to provide safe abortion services and that women are not criminalized or stigmatized for seeking abortion services.

Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) is a policy that was suggested to be part of the national education curriculum. 

CSE provides accurate information about sexual and reproductive health, promotes healthy relationships, and empowers young people to make informed decisions about their bodies and lives.

Access to Family Planning is a sexual right for every adult. 

FP2030 Kenya Government Commitment was submitted in 2021 to ensure affordable and quality family planning services with zero unmet needs by 2030. 

However, only 5.2 million out of 26 million adult women have access to family planning. 

Therefore, there is a need for policies that ensure access to a wide range of family planning services. 

This includes removing barriers such as high costs, cultural stigmas, and limited availability of services, particularly in rural areas.

Policies that address gender-based violence, including sexual assault, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), and child marriage, need to be strengthened and effectively implemented. 

This includes promoting awareness, providing support services for survivors, and holding perpetrators accountable.

Media and advocacy

While the government should bear the brunt, the media has a responsibility of persuasive reporting on SRHR so as to inform and shift the audience’s mindsets by setting the agenda and mobilizing the masses.

The media plays a crucial role in advocating for free and fair access to sexual reproductive health and rights in Kenya.

Cecilia Mutava, Chief Executive Officer Cheshire Disability Services Kenya, says that despite the consortium having 42 partner organizations in 33 counties, the media’s progressive efforts are immeasurable in driving the SRHR agenda forward.

“We value the role of media in advocacy and partnerships with organizations. The media is an invaluable tool to drive this important issue,” the CEO appreciated.

The one-day training highlighted how the media can play a crucial role in advocating for SRHR policy changes by providing accurate and comprehensive reporting on SRHR issues, including highlighting the impact of restrictive policies on individuals and communities.

Abott termed the media powerful when it comes to agenda setting by engaging in advocacy campaigns through editorial pieces, opinion articles, and investigative journalism to raise awareness, educate the public, and create a sense of urgency for policy change.

“Media is very powerful, which is an advantage because you shed light on what seems pertinent, making it easier to amplify the voices of marginalized and vulnerable communities, advocate for their SRHR rights and create a platform for their stories to be heard,” Abott stated.

He noted that the change from persuasive media advocacy might be gradual but eventually, it causes more good than harm to survivors of different forms of violence.

The media holds policymakers and stakeholders accountable by reporting on their actions or inactions in addressing SRHR issues and advocating for evidence-based policies that promote free and fair access to SRHR services.

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Media practitioners were urged to collaborate with civil society organizations, advocacy groups, and other stakeholders to create synergies and amplify efforts toward advocating for policy change in the area of SRHR.