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We are CATALYSTS: A bold, unapologetic, Africa-led alliance advancing abortion rights in Africa | |
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In June 2024, the Centre became a member of the Catalysts coalition, a strategic alliance formed in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which raised global concerns about the rollback of reproductive rights. Recognizing the potential ripple effects on sexual and reproductive health rights in Africa, a coalition of key organizations established CATALYSTS—a unified, Africa-led alliance committed to preserving gains and expanding access to abortion services across the continent.
The coalition's founding members include the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), International Planned Parenthood Foundation-Africa Regional Office (IPPF_ARO), Ipas Africa Alliance (AA), Population Council-Kenya, and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO). Together, these organizations bring diverse expertise to amplify advocacy, strengthen reproductive rights, and shift narratives surrounding abortion in Africa. Catalysts' objectives include raising awareness of abortion rights, amplifying African voices in global reproductive rights discussions, and promoting a positive, inclusive approach to reproductive healthcare.
Catalysts is not just a coalition; it is a movement. In the face of growing anti-rights movements and increasing claw back and opposition, the alliance serves as a vital platform for protecting and advancing legally guaranteed abortion rights in Africa.
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Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights globally: CEDAW review highlights and adopts recommendations for Rwanda | |
A group photo featuring CRR representative, partners from Rwanda (GLIHD and HDI), and the then Minister for Gender, during the CEDAW review of Rwanda in Geneva. | |
In April 2024, the Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) reviewed Rwanda in compliance with the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. In close collaboration with our partners in Rwanda, the Health Development Initiative (HDI) and the Great Lakes Initiative for Human Rights and Development (GLIHD), we submitted an alternative report with key recommendations on strengthening access to Sexual and Reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for women and girls in Rwanda.
During the review, several concerns were raised around the persistently high maternal mortality rates, HIV/AIDS disparities, adolescent access to contraceptives, restrictions on legal abortion, barriers to healthcare for disadvantaged groups, and the criminalization and stigma surrounding abortion. However, CEDAW commended Rwanda's efforts in improving women's health, particularly in reducing maternal mortality, expanding sexual and reproductive health services, and broadening access to safe abortion services.
As a result of the recommendations made, in November 2024, the Rwanda Health Services Bill was approved. The bill includes a proposal to lower the age of consent for healthcare services from 18 to 15 years, alongside provisions that allow health centers and clinics to perform abortions. This change aims to make healthcare more accessible to adolescents while reducing health risks, such as teenage pregnancies and increasing access to safe abortion care, particularly for women living in remote areas and is intended.
The Center and its partners are committed to supporting the government of Rwanda in addressing these critical issues to improve access to women's sexual and reproductive health and rights.
CEDAW Shadow Report: https://reproductiverights.org/cedaw-shadow-report-rwanda-sexual-reproductive-health-rights/
| Marking the International Safe Abortion Day: Advancing advocacy and building solidarity | |
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Photo 1: Poster for the X-Space panel discussion on scaling efforts to promote access to safe abortion care in Africa hosted by the Center and its partners.
Photo 2: Martin Onyango, Associate Director of Legal Strategies - Africa at the Center, poses for a photo with the winning team at the ISAD tournament organized by our partner, Women Collective Kenya.
Photo 3: Center staff members pose with CRR-branded placards featuring SRHR messaging.
Photo 4: Malaika Nduko from the Center reading the joint press statement during the ISAD tournament.
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This year, the Center commemorated International Safe Abortion Day (ISAD) with a series of impactful events, highlighting the critical need for access to safe abortion and working to eliminate the stigma associated with it. The Center participated in a football tournament our partner Women Collective Kenya organized, themed #KickAbortionStigmaOut. This event was a significant step in tackling stigma within local communities, using the power of sports and art through spoken word to raise awareness about the barriers to safe abortion services and the need to eliminate stigma.
In collaboration with our regional partners across Africa, the Center hosted an X-Space discussion focusing on the role of litigation in advancing legal protections for safe abortion care and strategies to strengthen movement-building efforts across Africa.
The Centre also engaged in media interviews to further advocate for legal protections and cross-border collaboration to promote safe abortion care. Public events like the football tournament and the use of art play a key role in challenging harmful stigmas surrounding abortion. The #AbortionSolidarity campaign was also launched, fostering stronger partnerships and encouraging collective action. This initiative highlighted the importance of a unified approach to expanding access to safe abortion services and driving long-term policy change across Africa.
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Tracking the realisation of the rights of Tanzanian girls: Progress in the ACERWC Implementation Hearing | |
Representatives from the Centre for Reproductive Rights, our partners LHRC and the government of Tanzania at the ACERWC implementation hearing in Maseru, Lesotho. | |
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In September 2022, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC, also "the Committee") rendered the decision that the United Republic of Tanzania had committed multiple human rights and gender violations against adolescent girls. These violations included mandatory pregnancy testing, expulsion of pregnant girls from school, illegal detention, a total ban on education for adolescent girls post-childbirth, and failure to ensure access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and information. Following this decision, the Committee issued recommendations that Tanzania reform its policies and report progress within 180 days.
In October 2024, the Committee held an implementation hearing to monitor efforts towards implementing the recommendations and assess Tanzania's efforts to address these violations in the presence of the Center for Reproductive Rights, the Legal and Human Rights Center (LHRC) and other stakeholders. In its guiding recommendations arising from the implementation hearing, the Committee called for further reforms, such as amending the Education Act to prohibit mandatory pregnancy testing, removing barriers for pregnant and married girls to re-enter school, revising the Law of Marriage Act to abolish child marriage, and expanding SRH education.
Strengthened reporting mechanisms and partnerships with civil society were also crucial to sustaining progress. These measures represent a significant step toward systemic change to protect and empower girls in Tanzania..
Read more: Africa: Advancing Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights at the ACERWC | Center for Reproductive Rights
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Photo 1: The SRHR side event hosted by the Center and allied SRHR organizations at the Girl Up Kenya Leadership Summit 2024.
Photo 2: Elsy Sainna, Associate Director, Advocacy and External Relations, Africa at the Centre, poses with an adolescent participant at the Girl Up Kenya Leadership Summit.
Photo 3: A session in progress at the Girl Up Kenya Leadership Summit 2024.
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In July 2024, the Centre participated in the Annual Girl Up Kenya Leadership Summit, bringing together over 800 girls aged 13 to 24 from Kenya and across Africa to empower young women and address gender justice issues. The summit featured keynote speeches from global gender justice champions, including Hon. Sabina Chege, Hon. Millie Odhiambo, Ruth Muyambu from UN Women, and Elsy Sainna from the Centre. The Centre invited youth participants from Uganda, Kenya, and Zambia through the Global Affairs Canada (GAC) funded SHE-SOARS project for the #UnlimitedGirlsLead summit.
The Centre, together with other SRHR organizations, hosted a side event on Menstrual Hygiene and Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (ASRHR), focusing on educating girls on the legal and policy aspects of ASRHR, raising awareness of teenage pregnancy and school re-entry policies, and highlighting the intersection of SRHR with education, health, and empowerment. The summit concluded with a commitment from participating organizations to form a technical working group dedicated to advocating for SRHR solutions and driving sustainable change.
Read more: Addressing Policy and Legal Aspects of SRHR at the Girl Up Kenya Leadership Summit 2024 | Center for Reproductive Rights
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Launch of the teenage pregnancy report in Africa: Status, progress and challenges | |
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Teenage pregnancy remains a significant concern across many African nations, with approximately one in every five adolescent girls becoming pregnant before the age of 19. In response to this, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), in collaboration and partnership with the Centre for Reproductive Rights, the African Child Policy Forum and Plan International, conducted a comprehensive study and published the Teenage Pregnancy in Africa: Status, Progress, and Challenges report.
The report provides an in-depth assessment and Africa-wide analysis of teenage pregnancy, examining its prevalence, root causes, and far-reaching impacts across the continent. Launched in April 2024, the report offers actionable recommendations to key stakeholders, enabling them to address and mitigate the challenges associated with teenage pregnancy effectively.
Link to the report - ACERWC study on teenage pregnancy (2022).
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Inaugural East Africa Community youth conference on sexual reproductive health and rights | |
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Photo 1: Participants of the EAC SRHR Conference pose for a group photo.
Photo 2: SHE SOARS project partners posing for a group photo at the EAC SRHR Conference.
Photo 3: Richard Wanzala, Advocacy Adviser for Zambia and Uganda, delivers opening remarks on behalf of the Centre at the EAC SRHR Conference.
Photo 4: Maria Tororey, Advocacy Adviser (SHE SOARS) Africa, moderates a panel session at the EAC SRHR conference.
Photo 5: Anita Otieno, Marshall Weinberg Global Legal Fellow, Africa at the Center, delivers a presentation at the EAC SRHR conference.
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In December 2024, the Center co-hosted the inaugural East African Youth Conference on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). This two-day conference was a crucial platform for addressing the complex challenges hindering young people's access to comprehensive SRHR in East Africa. The conference brought together youth leaders, policymakers, civil society organizations, and other key stakeholders to engage in dialogue, foster collaboration, and work toward advancing gender equity, social inclusion, and sustainable development in SRHR.
The Center's SHE SOARS project partners from Uganda and Kenya—Network for Community Development (NCD), Women Rural Development Network (WORUDET), ZAMARA Foundation, Centre for Rights Education and Awareness (CREAW), and Nyanza Initiative for Girls' Education & Empowerment (NIGEE) were in attendance. The Center moderated a "Bridging the Gaps in SRHR Legislation, Policy, and Practice" session. Also, it delivered a presentation on "Breaking the Cycle: Addressing the Causal Factors of Teenage Pregnancy in Africa", referencing key statistics and recommendations from the ACERWC study on teenage pregnancy (2022).
The conference highlighted several critical issues, including gaps in enforcing laws protecting adolescent SRHR, limited access to SRHR information and services for adolescents, and the disconnect between national laws and regional commitments on ASRHR. A key takeaway emphasized by the various Youth-Led Organizations was the need for young people's active involvement in SRHR policy decisions and formulation, addressing harmful practices, and advocating for the harmonization of SRHR laws and policies across the region.
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A landmark ruling affirming the right to respectful maternal healthcare in Kenya | |
(Left) Martin Onyango, Associate Director of Legal Strategies - Africa at the Centre, represents (Center) Josephine Majani during the case hearing at the High Court of Kenya. | |
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In February 2024, the Court of Appeal of Kenya upheld a landmark 2018 Bungoma High Court decision affirming Josephine Majani's reproductive rights after she endured neglect and abuse during childbirth in Bungoma County Referral Hospital. This decision reaffirms Kenya's constitutional guarantee of the right to the highest attainable standard of health, including quality and respectful maternal care. It condemns systemic violations such as abuse, neglect, and discrimination in healthcare settings.
This decision reinforces state accountability for maternal health care. It builds on pivotal cases like the 2015 Pumwani maternal health case that aims to strengthen the legal framework on the state's obligation to provide quality maternal healthcare. By holding the government accountable for failing to implement national maternal health standards, the decision sets a precedent for improving healthcare services and advancing reproductive justice in Kenya and across the region.
Read more about the case: (Victory in Kenya: Court of Appeal Affirms Right to Respectful Maternal Health Care | Center for Reproductive Rights)
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Engaging with the African Commission: Lessons from a case addressing maternal mortality in Nigeria | |
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In May 2024, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights rendered its decision on a Communication addressing maternal mortality in Nigeria. The case, filed in December 2014 by the Center for Reproductive Rights, Community Law Centre of the University of the Western Cape, Alliance Africa and the Women Advocacy Research and Documentation Centre on behalf of five Nigerian women, highlighted the dire consequences of inadequate maternal healthcare, including preventable deaths and lifelong injuries such as obstetric fistulas. In this case, we raised concerns over systemic issues like insufficient maternal healthcare funding, high maternal mortality rates, gender inequality and prioritization of military spending over maternal health.
While the Commission acknowledged the gravity of Nigeria's maternal health care crisis, it found insufficient evidence to prove the government's failure to utilize available resources effectively, ultimately not granting any reparations. Addressing this crisis requires increased healthcare funding, better access to maternal health services, comprehensive reproductive health education, and tackling gender inequality. The Center and its partners are actively engaging with the Commission to ensure the voices of affected women remain a priority. The decision highlights the ongoing challenges in advancing maternal health rights and the importance of collective efforts to drive systemic change for women's health and dignity.
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Empowering legal professionals to advance SRHR in Africa | |
Photos from the jurists' training sessions in Tanzania, hosted by the Centre in collaboration with the East Africa Law Society (EALS). | |
In June 2024, the Centre and the East Africa Law Society (EALS) hosted a transformative three-day training in Tanzania to equip legal experts with the knowledge and resources to advance Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR). The training brought together stakeholders from government, civil society, academia, and legal professionals across Africa to address challenges, share best practices, and develop strategies to enhance SRHR advocacy. Key outcomes included a deeper understanding of legal frameworks, strengthened collaboration among stakeholders, and an actionable strategy to dismantle barriers to SRHR. | | | | |
