Press release: GL announces support for SheDecides movement

1 March 2018, Johannesburg – Gender Links, has announced its support for the international movement SheDecides.  Gender Links is working with the SADC Gender Protocol Alliance network to strengthen Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) work in Southern Africa, to gather evidence, lobby and advocate on sensitive areas such as unsafe abortion, family planning and inclusive access to SRHR services. The SRHR network is promoting innovation to measure GBV and track SRHR laws.

SheDecides launched at the start of 2017 as a global movement to support the fundamental rights of girls and women to decide freely and for themselves about their sexual lives, including whether, when, with whom and how many children they have. The movement was founded in direct response to President Donald Trump’s reinstatement and expansion of the Global Gag Rule – a policy that prevents non-governmental organisations outside the US from receiving money from the US government if they provide safe abortions or information about abortion.

To date the network has gathered data on SRHR, GBV, HIV and AIDS as part of the annual country and regional barometers used to calculate SRHR performance based on the Protocol and the SDGs. The Alliance disseminates the Citizen Score Card, in which ordinary citizens score their government performance on gender equality, including SRHR. The Alliance networks work closely with Ministries of Gender to lobby for stronger policy commitments at country level on SRHR using examples from neighbouring countries. For example, South Africa has exemplary SRHR constitutional provisions, and has Choice of Termination of Pregnancy legislation. The Alliance networks promote peer learning and sharing through best practices on SRHR presented at summits.

Women’s rights have been jeopardised by the Global Gag Rule, minimalism by governments on SRHR commitments, growing corruption and dwindling funding of women’s rights organisations. Gender Links, together with the Alliance is holding governments accountable on SRHR commitments through annual research of the SADC Gender Protocol Barometer. Through a strong women’s movement, Gender Links expresses solidarity with the SheDecides movement to leave no one behind in accessing their rights.

The SheDecides movement campaigns for a New Normal: a world where the rights of girls and women to decide about their own bodies is respected and promoted. The movement is mobilising governments, organisations and citizens to change laws and policies that prevent women from realising their rights, and to mobilise the resources for quality sexual and reproductive health services and information reach all girls and women.

 SheDecides means that every girl and every woman, everywhere, can safely exercise her right to decide for herself what she does with her body and who she shares her body with.  She must have access to education and information about her body and her options, modern contraception and safe abortion.

“It is now more than ever before that we need a strong women’s movement to leave no stone unturned for every citizen to fully access their Sexual and Reproductive Rights” said Sifisosami Dube, Head of Programmes at Gender Links.

Since SheDecides launched, the movement has mobilised more than $400 million from a huge range of governments and individuals, including Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands and others. Since July, over 25,000 citizens and organisations have pledged to take action to support the SheDecides movement. To sign the manifesto and get involved with SheDecides, please visit www.shedecides.com.

 For more information and interviews please contact:

Sifisosami Dube on HoP@genderlinks.org.za

About SheDecides 

In 2017, SheDecides was launched as a global movement to support the fundamental rights of women and girls to decide freely and for themselves about their sexual lives, including whether, when, with whom and how many children they have.  The growing movement unites the talents and opportunities of citizens, businesses, governments, young people, international organisations, foundations and NGOs. SheDecides was created as an immediate response to US President Donald Trump’s reinstatement of the Global Gag Rule – also known as the Mexico City Policy – a policy that prevents NGOs outside the US from receiving money from the US government if they provide safe abortions or information about abortion.

For more information go to: https://www.shedecides.com/ and follow us on Twitter @SheDecidesGFI and on Facebook @SheDecidesGFI