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Kenya

Articles by Kenya

Tea party OK
22 August 2023

The Maputo Tea Party: How IPPFAR Brought Human Rights to the Digital Space

In planning to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Maputo Protocol, it became evident that many young people may be unaware of the protocol and its contents since it was created before their birth or when they were toddlers. The IPPFAR social media campaign, titled “Got the Maputo Tea?” stood out as a solution to drive forward the message and the agenda of the Maputo Protocol. This campaign kicked off on 6th July 2023 and concluded on 10th August 2023, and targeted girls aged 20 and thereabouts. The campaign has been a lesson in digital innovation, as it sought to channel the power of social media to raise awareness, ignite conversations and drive engagement with a young target audience. Here’s a quick recap of the campaign. The Maputo Protocol is a landmark treaty that was adopted by the African Union in 2003. It is the first international human rights treaty to specifically address the rights of women in Africa. The Protocol covers a wide range of issues, including: Gender equality and non-discrimination: The Protocol affirms the right of women to be equal to men in all aspects of life, and prohibits all forms of discrimination against women. Violence against women: The Protocol defines violence against women and girls, and commits States Parties to take measures to prevent and eradicate all forms of violence against women. Sexual and reproductive health and rights: The Protocol recognizes the right of women to sexual and reproductive health and rights, including the right to safe and legal abortion. Economic and social rights: The Protocol recognizes the right of women to economic and social rights, including the right to work, the right to education, and the right to health care. The Maputo Tea Party Event Converging Passion and Purpose  To kick off the 20th Anniversary of the Maputo Protocol celebration, the Maputo Tea Party Event was held at the IPPFAR office on 6th July 2023. To bring this event to life, IPPFAR staff, partners, social media campaign influencers and vibrant young individuals came together to share information and hold an open discussion on the Maputo Protocol. The event was physically attended by more than 75 participants and featured a panel of 5 stakeholders leading the discussion. Online, through live streaming, another 162 individuals experienced the event.  University Street Shoot to Nurture Awareness and Spark Conversation  To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Maputo Protocol on the 11th of July 2023, the campaign influencers participated in a street shoot targeting students from Strathmore University, Nairobi. The students were prompted with the question “Do you know about the Maputo Tea?” Their responses revealed the varying levels of awareness and opened the door for insightful conversations. A total of 30 students participated and were captured on video. Following their participation, participants were treated to a cup of tea, creating the atmosphere for sharing information and vital insights about the protocol’s profound significance. Using Technology to Bring Out the African Spirit Being dynamic on the IPPFAR social media platforms was at the heart of the Got the Maputo Tea campaign. A revolutionary approach of using AI-generated images that seamlessly incorporate African elements while bringing out the African spirit was included in the visual posts. With African women joyfully sharing tea, laughing together or the more solemn facial expressions on some posts, the images resonated with different emotional appeals. These images and their captions were shared across different platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. The posts were designed to reach a diverse audience and drive forth empowering messaging.   Amplifying the Message with Influencer Voices Central to the campaign’s success were two female influencers, Michelle Brendah and Leslie Muthoni (Anxietities). Through a blend of video narratives and sharing of key visuals, they actively participated in the campaign from inception to culmination. Their contributions helped to foster resonance and connection with their followers across different social media platforms. To create a ripple effect in the communication, a network of 30 nano-influencers also participated in the campaign using Twitter and TikTok as the main platforms. Their active and enthusiastic participation resulted in the campaign hashtag #maputoteaparty trending on the date of the 20th Anniversary celebration, 11th July 2023, on Twitter. Videos and an Article as Catalysts for Change For exciting and engaging content creation, videos from the Maputo Tea Party and the University Street Shoot were used to provide educational narratives about the Maputo Protocol. These videos were edited and used as both organic and sponsored posts on social media platforms. The aim of these videos was to offer deeper education to audiences and connect with them on a more emotional level. An article to kick off the campaign was also featured on the IPPFAR website and shared across its social media pages. To the reading audience, the article helped offer guidance on the campaign’s objectives, activities, and accomplishments. The "Got the Maputo Tea?" campaign was a success, with over 268,000 views and impressions from social media posts and videos. The campaign also resonated with the young target audience, with over 24,350 likes on social media posts. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of this protocol, the "Got the Maputo Tea?" campaign has laid a strong foundation for furthering its aims and ideals. It has proven that creative digital strategy can make human rights issues relatable and inspiring to youth. The passion and dedication of all involved have made this campaign a remarkable success story of using social media for social good. IPPFAR has set a new benchmark for bringing important regional issues to the digital space.

FON family photo
16 March 2023

Feminist Opportunities Now: Empowering Feminist Organizations Around the World

Feminist Opportunities Now (FON) is a programme that aims to build capacity of feminist organisations via subgrants to enhance more diverse and resilience Civil Society Organisations when addressing and responding to gender-based violence, inequalities, discrimination and other human rights violations related to gender. International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Region (IPPFAR) is the FON consortium lead, with the other consortium partners being Médecins du Monde (MdM-FR), Creating Resources for Empowerment and Action Inc. (CREA), the International Federation on Human Rights (FIDH) and Empow’Her (EH). The programme is funded by the French Government via the French Development Agency (AFD). The action of the consortium's member organizations is based on feminist principles, a deep commitment to the promotion of human rights and the fight against inequalities and discrimination, especially against women and girls. They have a long experience of the themes of the programme mandates and complementary expertise that underpin the robustness of the holistic approach of the programme.   The Challenge  Gender inequalities on a global scale affect half of the world's population. Gender inequality is one of the main obstacles to human development. The FON Programme seeks to address such inequalities. Some of the challenges leading to these inequalities include: Lack of and/or effective implementation of comprehensive laws, policies, legal instruments to address gender inequalities worldwide, leading to increased gender inequalities. Lack of or limited implementation of the frameworks, which widens inequalities and aggravate the precariousness of women and girls- particularly people with disabilities, living with HIV, sex workers, and those of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI)  COVID-19 that dramatically exacerbated social and economic challenges leading to an increase in gender-based violence (GBV).  Inadequate involvement of people with disabilities (15% of the world's population), LGBTI+, sex workers and people living with HIV-AIDS, in initiatives to promote and defend their rights, and the least associated in preventing and responding to this violence. Inadequate support to nascent or relatively new Civil Society Organizations many of which remain undeclared, and, despite their effervescence and dynamism, they continue to face challenges that restrict their ability to reduce GBV and protect and promote women's rights. Limited creation of an innovative and flexible financing system in order to strengthen the contribution of CSOs in the South, in all their diversity, to the reduction of GBV. Objectives of the Programme  To Improve the sustainability of feminist Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) at the organizational and technical levels by proposing an inclusive approach to capacity building.   To support the resilience and diversity of feminist CSOs through access to flexible sustainable financing mechanisms tailored to small and/or informal and/or marginalized CSOs. To strengthen a networked movement of feminist CSOs in the Global South, linking these CSOs and national, regional, and international networks, to make their voices heard on the public stage.     To promote innovation at all levels of the programme by the CSOs themselves and the consortium member organisations.   Targets of the Programme  Feminist CSOs working with and/or for the various structurally excluded groups. Activist organizations working with or led by people who may face particularly high discrimination. Gender inequalities and GBV, such as members of the LGBTI+ community and in general people with diverse sexual orientation and gender identities and Gender Expressions (SOGIE). People living with disabilities. People with HIV/AIDS.  Sex workers.  Indirectly, targets of advocacy activities (regional bodies, national / local authorities, etc)   Approaches of the Programme  Feminist Opportunities Now (FON) aims to build capacity of feminist organisations via subgrants to enhance more diverse and resilient Civil Society Organisations when addressing and responding to gender-based violence, inequalities, discrimination, and other human rights violations related to gender. FON will set up Regional Coordination and Advisory Committees in each region (Africa, Asia and Latin America), whose role will be to help ensure inclusiveness and identify advocacy opportunities. The Sub-granting will be phased into three categories or funding windows below, and for which the first call for proposals is scheduled to be launched in April 2023: Window 1 / "Boost" The objective is for the feminist CSOs or young feminists to have the enhanced capacity to face external events (political instability, insecurity, etc.) and/or internal hurdles (organisational difficulties, necessary a project co-funding or additional programme component etc.). This window should also allow CSOs to apply for a grant in case of an upcoming opportunity such as in programming, advocacy, etc. Key words are therefore flexibility and opportunity. Window 2/ "Programmatic & Organizational Development" will support small and middle-size CSOs and young feminists that are trying to grow from an organisational, technical and programmatic point of view. The objective is to simultaneously fund a programme while reinforcing the capacities of the recipient organizations programme. Window 3 / "Synergies" will fund networks, movements and alliances to implement advocacy activities on GBV, and organizations that want to get involved in existing networks.  It will promote network and alliance building and promote visibility on national, regional and international platforms.   Location Justification  Equity is a pillar integrated in the FON implementation strategy. The programme will be implemented in 10 countries including six in Africa (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Kenya, and  potentially Niger), two in Latin America (Colombia and Mexico) and two in Asia (Bangladesh and Sri Lanka). FON put great consideration to determine the location of the implementation of the programme using below criteria: Countries where the needs of CSOs for support are strong and the potential for exchanges and collaborations is high. Existing normative and policy frameworks but little or no implementation and respect in national law. The needs of the populations are immense and in varying proportions from one country to another, also revealing a wide potential for learning and training. Contexts that exacerbate gender-based violence and increase the need for support for feminist CSOs. Potential for collaboration with other existing and/or new interventions.  To read more about the FON consortium partners' workshop, click here.  

Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry

Feminist Opportunities Now: Empowering Feminist Organisations Around The World

7 February 2023, Nairobi, Kenya – The International Planned Parenthood (IPPF) Africa Region in collaboration with the French Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, launches a new program which aims at strengthening feminist civil society organisations (CSOs) in 10 countries and over 3 continents – the Feminist Opportunities Now (FON) project. The Feminist Opportunities Now project will help small feminist local organisations become more diverse and resilient when addressing and responding to gender-based violence, inequalities, discrimination and other human rights violations related to gender. The program is funded by the French Government via the French Development Agency (AFD). This project will be implemented in 10 countries, including six in Africa (Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Ethiopia, Kenya and potentially Niger). Others are Colombia, Mexico, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Speaking during the launch of the FON project held at the French Embassy in Nairobi on 7 February, the IPPF Africa Regional Director, Ms. Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry said “gender-based violence in all its forms is recognised as a human rights violation by the international human rights framework and jurisprudence. Gender inequality, power imbalance and lack of respect for human rights are often the root causes of such heinous acts and prevent survivors from accessing and enjoying their full sexual and reproductive health and rights. As human rights defenders, we must all take a stand and put a stop to these inexcusable acts.” The Feminist Opportunities Now is a project which is grounded on feminist principles with a deep commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights and the fight against inequalities and discrimination, especially against women and girls. END For media enquiries, please contact: Mahmoud Garga, Lead Specialist -Strategic Communication, Media Relations and Digital Campaigning, IPPF Africa Regional Office (IPPFARO) on [email protected] / Tel: +254 704 626 920 ABOUT THE FEMINIST OPPORTUNITIES NOW (FON) PROJECT The objective of the project Feminist Opportunities Now (FON), is to build the capacity of women's movements, via sub-grants to feminist organisations, with a particular effort to reaching small, often non-registered, organisations to address and respond to gender-based violence. The programme is developed based on an ecological model, using multi-disciplinary gender-transformative approaches. In addition to direct sub-granting (for € 7 million), FON will also provide a unique opportunity for longer-term mentorship to support feminist organisations in their overall development, with trainings specifically tailored to their needs. FON will also uniquely support the organisations to identify other/diverse sources of funding and also includes a research-action component to understand how these approaches can be scaled-up and made sustainable. ABOUT IPPF AFRICA REGION (IPPFAR) The International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Region (IPPFAR) is one of the leading sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service delivery organization in Africa, and a leading sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) advocacy voice in the region. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the overarching goal of IPPFAR is to increase access to SRHR services to the most vulnerable youth, men and women in sub-Saharan Africa. Learn more about us on our website. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and You Tube. ABOUT THE FEMINIST OPPORTUNITIES NOW CONSORTIUM The consortium that will implement this project is composed of the International Federation for Family Planning Africa Regional Office as lead agency, Creating Resources for Empowerment and Action Inc. (CREA), Empow'Her (EH), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Médecins du Monde-France (MdM-FR).  

FON cover 1

Feminist Opportunities Now (FON)

      CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST The International Planned Parenthood Federation for Africa Region (IPPFAR) is pleased to announce a call for Expressions of Interest for interested organizations to become involved in their Feminist Opportunities Now (FON) programme, and join the Regional Coordination and Advisory Committee (RCAC), the advisory body that will to ensure inclusive and participatory governance of FON’s grant-making mechanism for feminist organizations across Africa: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guinea, the Ivory Coast, Kenya and potentially Niger.   Apply by 19 February 2023 More infos : https://bit.ly/3wJeV7o    

Bungoma county training
24 November 2022

Bridging the knowledge gap on abortion care; addressing & reducing incidence of increased maternal mortality and morbidity

In Kenya, abortion is regulated by article 26(4) of the Constitution which states that: abortion is permitted (and legal) when in the opinion of a trained health professional, there is need for emergency treatment, or the life or health of the mother is in danger, or if permitted by any other written law. Unsafe abortion in Kenya is among the highest in Africa. According to Dr Ann Kihara from the International Federation of Gygaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) maternal mortality is high at about 6,000 deaths per year and 17% of them are as a result of complications from unsafe abortion. Most of these cases have moderate to severe complications requiring specialized treatment and often have lasting health effects. Despite these statistics, most healthcare providers in Kenya lack comprehensive knowledge on the laws that and access to abortion care, and the skills to effectively assess, recommend and provide abortion care within the constitutional provision. Moreover, existing adverse social cultural and religious beliefs create barriers for effective counseling, assessment, referrals, and provision of life saving comprehensive abortion services. Through the support of the Guttmacher Institute and the International Plan Parenthood Federation Africa Region (IPPFAR), Reproductive Health Network Kenya (RHNK) conducted a training for private healthcare providers on Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC) from 17th to 21st October 2022 in Bungoma County, Western Kenya. The training included in depth learning activities and discussions on the legal framework for comprehensive abortion care, consequences of unsafe abortion in Kenya, counselling for post abortion care (PAC), infection prevention, complications and management, counselling for informed decision making in post abortion care and pain management. The main objective of the training was to contribute towards reduction of abortion stigma and creating an enabling environment for quality service provision by private healthcare providers in the County. Beverlynn Juma, a service provider in Misikhu, shared: “Bungoma County has high incidents of unsafe abortions because people are not open about it, so many unsafe abortions go unreported. CAC training will enable most service providers to be open about the fact that they provide safe abortion services, leading to increased awareness of the availability of these services. Reproductive Health Network Kenya in partnership with the county government will improve the state of abortion by enabling girls to be able to go for the procedure freely hence reducing mortality rates’’. From the testimonials shared by Beverly and other healthcare providers in the training; access to safe abortion information in Bungoma County is also limited due to knowledge gaps on the legality of the service and their obligation as providers. Martin Onyango, the Strategic Legal Expert at the Centre for Reproductive Rights Africa Region stated that his hope and wish is that “…the training invokes the desire to offer safe services by providers and equally empower them to be champions and advocates for safe abortion in their county”. The Bungoma County Reproductive Health Coordinator, Mrs. Christine Naliaka expressed her appreciation for the training and partnership between RHNK and the County government of Bungoma, which in her opinion is very timely and said: “there still exists stigma of CAC & PAC services, clients still hide and don’t open up to safe abortion services despite inevitable conditions like miscarriages. Some of the challenges faced by the facilities in provision of abortion services is that the providers don’t display PAC services on their service charters, no financial allocation of PAC/CAC services from the county government, reporting tools are not available in all facilities, and there is no capacity building of the providers”.   She acknowledged the contribution of partners in promoting service access as most clients from Bungoma receive services from private facilities. Christine also recommended support supervision visits after the training to ascertain whether the providers are compliant and giving quality services such as PAC/CAC as an emergency service. She also mentioned that collaborations and partnership between should be deepened to bridge the information gap in service access, and critically partners should work seamlessly with the county structures to provide more information to the public while working on building the capacity of the providers to create a favorable working environment, and stronger continuum of care.  “The training has been successful especially in terms of establishing a network of providers in Bungoma County as well as filling the gaps in terms of skills gap and having necessary knowledge to provide the services. We believe that the providers we have trained will be part of the network for Bungoma County under RHNK umbrella and provide quality services especially to the under-reached population, the youth, adolescents and women in the rural areas.’’ Dr. Wambulwa, Bungoma County Pharmacist. In order to reduce maternal mortality, it is critical that key stakeholders’ intensify preventive promotive SRHR campaigns for right holders’ awareness of their needs. Stakeholders’ should also promote public-private partnership in building the capacity of Health Care Providers in understanding their professional roles and provision of fundamental human rights. “We applaud the County Government of Bungoma, and all the other partnerships and actors who are working continually and untiringly to expand access to abortion care. Almost 90% of abortions in countries with liberal abortion laws are considered safe, compared to only 25% in countries where abortion is banned. This is a serious violation of human rights. Medical abortion has revolutionised access to care and safe abortion, both inside and outside the health system. These advances must be protected, and at IPPF we are committed to expanding the knowledge of and acceptance around abortion care, reducing the number of deaths of women and girls who are forced to turn to unsafe abortion methods,” said Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry, Regional Director of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Africa Region. The government should prioritize aligning SRHR legal frameworks to create an enabling environment for access to information and healthcare by all. They should ensure increased funds allocation to SRHR including abortion commodities and equipment in both public and private facilities for access to quality and comprehensive SRHR. In conclusion there is need for investment in research for continuous SRHR evidence generation to inform current and future programming centered on the needs of providers, communities and other stakeholders.

Condom King
17 December 2021

Meet Kenya’s Celebrated 'King of Condoms', Stanley Ngara

Stanley Ngara, from Kenya, is commonly known as the ‘King of Condom’. Stanley spends his days educating people about safe sex practices and distributing condoms. He distributes condoms -for free- to different groups of people among them youth, sex workers, motorbike riders, university students, market traders and even drug users. Stanley is passionate about raising awareness on issues of sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR), including HIV and AIDS. IPPF Africa Region met Stanley during one of his regular outreach activities in his home area of Kiambu County, located in Kenya’s Central region, and brings you his story. IPPF supports champions like Stanley, who are committed to raising awareness on different SRHR issues in their communities.

Reproductive Health Network Kenya

The Reproductive Health Network Kenya (RHNK) is a network of health professionals within private and public facilities committed to Comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, advocacy and service provision. The network was formed to provide evidence-based information and quality comprehensive reproductive health services in Kenya.

RHNK’s main strategic goal is to contribute to the reduction of maternal morbidity and mortality with a focus on the two among other five causes of maternal mortality and morbidity which is postpartum haemorrhage and unsafe abortion.

RHNK runs a network of trained Adolescents and youth headed by RHNK adolescents and youth program officer. The adolescents and youth network is effective in providing CSRH information, referrals and linkage to services.

With the rising opposition which was witnessed immediately after the reinstatement and expansion of the global gag rule also known as the Mexican policy, RHNK with other civil society organizations developed Strategies to counter opposition.

The pool of RHNK trained health care providers to provide SRH information and services, including comprehensive abortion care across the country.

Training of the network providers on SRHR Law, policies and communications. RHNK works with the Center for Reproductive Rights CRR who provides strategic litigation and pro-bono legal support to the Network providers.

Read the RHNK 2021 Annual Report here.

Follow RHNK on Twitter, Facebook and You Tube. See the RHNK website here.

Safe abortion course

IPPF launches free online medical abortion course

Training co-created with How To Use Abortion Pill Training endorsed by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Training course complete with quizzes and an option to download a certificate upon successful completion Course comes as World Health Organisation (WHO) issues new guidelines on abortion care and will help put the WHO guidelines into practice globally Over 25 million unsafe abortions occur each year From 2015 to 2019 in Kenya, there were 2,380,000 pregnancies annually. Of these, 1,450,000 pregnancies were unintended and 551,000 ended in abortion Landmark High Court of Kenya ruling in March 2022 affirms abortion care as a fundamental right under the Constitution of Kenya Nairobi – 20th September 2022 – International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and HowToUseAbortionPill.org have developed a free online medical abortion training course to equip healthcare workers with the necessary skills to provide care for women seeking medical abortion up to 13 weeks’ gestation. The course is aimed at the full range of providers, including physicians, midwives, pharmacists, medical students and community health workers. The course, which has been endorsed by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), is a seven-lesson video series accessible via the link https://elearning.howtouseabortionpill.org. It covers an overview of abortion care; how to support a medical abortion; symptoms, side effects and complications; and aftercare. The training is framed around four principles of care: person-centred care, rights-based care, quality, and privacy and confidentiality. “Abortion care continues to be left off medical training curriculums,” said Mallah Tabot, Lead SRHR Programming at IPPF Africa Region. “This online course will fill a critical gap in the education of many health workers. It has the potential to significantly increase the number of health workers with the skills and knowledge to provide abortion care, especially in low-resource settings, and thereby increase the number of women supported to safely end a pregnancy.” Unsafe abortion remains a serious global threat to women's health and safety, causing an estimated 7 million hospitalizations and up to 13% of all maternal deaths worldwide each year. Medical abortion is a non-invasive method using two pills - mifepristone and misoprostol - or misoprostol alone.  Medical abortion is safe and effective and is recommended by the Word Health Organisation (WHO). Between 2015 and 2019 in Kenya, there were a total of 2,380,000 pregnancies annually. Of these, 1,450,000 pregnancies were unintended and 551,000 ended in abortion. in Nigeria, there were a total of 10,500,000 pregnancies annually with 2,990,000 unintended and 1,430,000 ended in abortion. In both countries, abortion is legal to preserve the pregnant person’s health. However, a majority of abortions are carried out by unqualified practitioners who run unsafe clinics. “Research shows that when women cannot access safe abortion care, they often seek unsafe methods,”  said Rebecca Wilkins, Technical Lead, Abortion at IPPF.  “This training course provides the information and resources necessary for health workers to support women who choose to have a safe abortion with pills in early pregnancy either within or outside a clinical setting.” The course is hosted on a login-based web portal which can be accessed from desktop or mobile and is structured to be an interactive learning experience, complete with quizzes and an option to download a certificate upon successful completion. In March this year, WHO issued new guidelines on abortion care.  The updated guidelines contain more than 50 recommendations covering clinical practice, health service delivery, and policy and legal actions including ensuring access to quality medical abortion pills. The new online training course is aligned to the clinical protocols recommended in the WHO guidelines. A landmark ruling by the High Court of Kenya in Malindi this year affirmed the right to abortion as a fundamental right under the Kenyan Constitution.  The ruling in a case filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights and Reproductive Health Network Kenya (RHNK) in 2020 against government officials involved the arrest of a minor and a clinician. It has set a precedent against arbitrary arrests and prosecution of patients and health care providers for seeking or offering abortion services. Such arrests and prosecutions are now deemed illegal according to the new ruling. ENDs  For further information, download the media kit HERE or contact: PR Consultant Njeri Wangari              Tel: +254 (0)722353657, e-mail: [email protected] IPPF: Mahmoud Garga                     Tel.   +254 (0) 704626920, e-mail: [email protected]    Catherine Kilfedder                                                         e-mail: [email protected]   ABOUT IPPF AFRICA REGION (IPPFAR) The International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Region (IPPFAR) is one of the leading sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service delivery organizations in Africa and a leading sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) advocacy voice in the region. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the overarching goal of IPPFAR is to increase access to SRHR services to the most vulnerable youth, men and women, in sub-Saharan Africa.  Supported by thousands of volunteers, IPPFAR tackles the continent's growing SRHR challenges through a network of Member Associations (MAs) in 40 countries. We do this by developing our MAs into efficient entities with the capacity to deliver and sustain high-quality, youth-focused and gender-sensitive services.  We work with Governments, the African Union, Regional Economic Commissions, the Pan-African Parliament, and United Nations bodies, among others, to expand political and financial commitments to sexual and reproductive health and rights in Africa.  Learn more about us on our website. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Roe v Wade
13 May 2022

Stepping up to contain the Roe v Wade shock wave in Africa: Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry and Nelly Munyasia

By Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry and Nelly Munyasia. Last month, the High Court of Malindi in Kenya ruled that abortion care is a fundamental right under the Constitution of Kenya and that arbitrary arrests and prosecution of patients and healthcare providers for seeking or offering abortion services is illegal. The High Court further confirmed that criminalizing abortion under Penal Code without Constitutional statutory framework is an impairment to the enjoyment of women’s reproductive right and directed the Parliament of Kenya to enact an abortion law and public policy framework that aligns with the Kenyan Constitution.  This incredible result was made possible owing to the efforts of Reproductive HealthNetwork Kenya (RHNK), a network of health professionals within private and public facilities committed to comprehensive sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR), advocacy, and service provision, and the Centre for Reproductive Rights (CRR), a non-profit legal advocacy organization dedicated to promoting and defending reproductive rights worldwide. According to Guttmacher, globally over 120 million unintended pregnancies occurred each year between 2015 and 2019, 61% of which ended in abortion. In countries that restrict access to abortion, the percentage of unintended pregnancies ending in abortion has increased over the past 30 years, from 36% in 1990–1994 to 50% in 2015–2019. Last week, a leaked draft opinion from the United States (US) Supreme Court hinted at a likely overturning of the 1973 landmark Supreme Court decision in Roe V Wade which effectively legalized abortion across all US states. When Roe V Wade was passed some 50 years ago, it set the standard for progressive laws worldwide allowing women to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. 50 years later, the possibility of retrogressing this constitutional commitment in the US and in the rest of the world is looking more likely than ever. Such a decision would de facto open the floodgates of arrests and prosecution of patients and healthcare providers seeking or offering abortion services both in the United States and across the world. Such a move from a global power would also give grist to the anti-abortion mill worldwide, granting anti-abortion groups traction, funding, and legitimacy, and disrupting already scant services and scarce funding to civil society organisations that support the right to abortion care. In 2020, an investigation by the media organisation, Open Democracy, revealed that US right wing funding was behind “pregnancy crisis centres” which claim to provide “advice” to pregnant women but really advocate against termination of pregnancy and the right to abortion care. Moreover, if anti-abortion groups increase or expand, sexual and reproductive health and rights networks will have to redirect their energy towards stopping harmful reproductive coercion against women’s or couples’ will instead of focusing efforts on holding their governments accountable to expanding access and implement existing abortion legislation efficiently. While lawmakers have made progress in parts of the world, they have walked back on the advances made in others. They deny the science and play politics with women’s bodily integrity challenging well-grounded evidence that banning abortion does not lead to fewer women seeking or opting for abortions; and regrettably forcing women who want to safely end a pregnancy to turn to dangerous alternatives. They also oblige healthcare providers to choose between saving a woman’s life and facing criminal charges and jail time. As evidence demonstrates, there is no such thing as prohibiting abortion. There is only banning safe abortion.  Fundamental reproductive rights are under attack by anti-gender and anti-rights extremists, guised in lawmakers’ cloaks. We know from our experience of working on ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), in Kenya and in the rest of the world, that anti- rights and anti-gender opposition groups have fought long and hard to control women’s bodies and deny them their reproductive rights. Nelly Munyasia- Executive Director Reproductive Health Network Kenya (RHNK). “As a service providing organisation, we have faced numerous challenges including provider arrest, harassment and extortion by the police. We have witnessed the opposition targeting and threatening our providers including protesting in front of their clinics and launching hateful online petitions. This development in the US is moving us backwards and taking away women’s rights, reducing their ability to achieve their full potential in society. It will also have economic implications for decades to come. This equally puts health care providers at risk of violence and abuse by the opposition, and harassment by the police.” Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry, Africa Regional Director, International Planned Parenthood Federation of whom RHNK is a collaborative partner added:  "Access to abortion care is a human right, essential to guarantee the health and reproductive rights of women and girls everywhere. At IPPF, we are committed to reducing the number of deaths of women and girls who are forced to turn to unsafe abortion methods for fear of arrests and harassment. In partnership with our Collaborative Partner, RHNK and other powerful voices in the region and beyond, we will continue to supply and support safe and legal abortion services and care for women and girls everywhere, challenge regressive laws and protect the rights of women and girls to have autonomy over their own bodies, including to safely end a pregnancy if they so wish." Now more than ever, we must take a stand against this erosion of a woman’s fundamental right to her own bodily autonomy. Working in silos is no longer an option. As a global SRHR ecosystem, we must come together, protect past hard-fought wins, mobilise, and strategize to protect women and girls’ rights, including their right to abortion care. **END*** Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry is the Africa Regional Director at the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). Born in Guadeloupe, she has over 30 years of international human rights experience and leads her team to advocate, promote, and deliver sexual and reproductive health and rights in 42 sub-Saharan countries. Her leadership helps ensure that IPPF Africa Region, through locally owned organizations, protects and safeguards the rights of the most vulnerable in society. Nelly Munyasia is the Executive Director at Reproductive Health Network Kenya (RHNK) a network of trained and committed providers ensuring access to quality and comprehensive SRHR. She is a trained nurse-midwife and a health systems expert. Nelly is an award-winning global citizen committed to championing and advocating for quality sexual and reproductive health for women, girls and young people.

IPPF_Isabel Corthier
26 March 2022

High Court Judgement in Malindi Protects Women, Girls and Healthcare Providers from Arbitrary Abortion-Related Arrests and Prosecutions

March 26, 2022 (MALINDI) – In a landmark verdict today, the High Court of Malindi has ruled that safe abortion care is a fundamental right under the Constitution of Kenya and that arbitrary arrests and prosecution of patients and healthcare providers, for seeking or offering such services, is completely illegal. Specifically, the Court ruled that:  Abortion care is a fundamental right under the Constitution of Kenya and that arbitrary arrests and prosecution of patients and healthcare providers seeking or offering such services is illegal. Protecting access to abortion impacts vital Constitutional values, including dignity, autonomy, equality, and bodily integrity. Criminalizing abortion under Penal Code without Constitutional statutory framework is an impairment to the enjoyment of women’s reproductive right For years, women and girls in Kenya have faced sustained and pervasive discrimination hampering their access to seeking reproductive healthcare services; the 1963 Penal Code criminalizes all abortion care, including those allowed under the Constitution 2010, which guarantees the right to healthcare, including access to reproductive health services. The Constitution only permits safe abortion if in the opinion of a trained health professional, there is need for emergency treatment, or the life or health of the mother is at risk/in danger. The court case in question, filed in November 2020, involved PAK, a minor 16 years of age from Kilifi County. PAK experienced complications during pregnancy and immediately sought medical care at a nearby clinic where a trained clinical officer attended to her. Upon examining her, the clinical officer determined that she had lost the pregnancy and proceeded to provide her with essential and life-saving post-abortion care. Policy officers stormed the clinic, in the midst of the treatment, stopping the medical procedure and confiscating PAK’s treatment records. They then proceeded to illegally arrest both PAK and the clinical officer. Both were taken to Ganze Police Patrol Base where PAK was not allowed to access further medical care for the next two days and was forced to sign a statement which was contrary to PAK’s description of the events. The police also forced PAK to undergo another detailed medical examination at Kilifi County Hospital to obtain evidence to prove the alleged offence of abortion. The clinical officer was detained for one week while PAK was remanded to a juvenile remand for more than a month, whilst she and her family sought to secure the cash bail for her release. The Malindi High Court has further directed the Parliament to enact an abortion law and public policy framework that aligns with the Kenyan Constitution. Additionally, the Court has confirmed that communication between a patient and the healthcare provider is confidential, which is guaranteed and protected under the Constitution and other enabling laws, save for where the disclosure is consented to by the patient or is in the public interest in line with the limitations as provided for in the Constitution. In its decision, the Court also ruled that PAK was recovering from medical procedure and police did not have the medical qualifications to determine and confirm that she was medically-fit to leave the clinic, regardless of her admission status at the clinic. Additionally, the Court found that PAK’s arrest was inhuman and degrading, and being a minor, she ought not to have been interrogated without legal representation. Evelyne Opondo, Senior Regional Director for Africa at Center for Reproductive Rights said, “Today’s victory is for all women, girls, and healthcare providers who have been treated as criminals for seeking and providing abortion care. The court has vindicated our position by affirming that forcing a woman to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term or to seek out an unsafe abortion is a gross violation of her rights to privacy and bodily autonomy. Further, the continued restrictive abortion laws inhibit quality improvement possible to protect women with unintended pregnancies.” Nelly Munyasia, Executive Director of Reproductive Health Network Kenya (RHNK), a network of reproductive health providers whose member was the second petitioner in this case, welcomed the court’s decision. “Many qualified reproductive healthcare practitioners continue to be arrested, detained, and prosecuted for providing legal medical care. The court’s decision confirms that prosecution against health providers cannot hold where the prosecution has not established that; the health professional in question was unqualified to conduct the procedure; the life or health of the woman was not in danger or the woman was not in need of emergency treatment,” Ms. Munyasia said. Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry, Regional Director from the International Planned Parenthood Federation of whom Reproductive Health Rights Network Kenya is a collaborative partner added: “We are absolutely delighted to hear this news and applaud the High Court of Malindi's ruling confirming that abortion care is a fundamental right under the Constitution of Kenya and that arbitrary arrests and prosecution of patients and healthcare providers for seeking or offering such services is illegal. We are also very pleased to hear that the Court has directed Parliament to enact an abortion law and public policy framework that aligns with the Constitution. This is a victory for women and girls not only in Kenya, but across Africa! Access to quality abortion is essential to guarantee the health and reproductive rights of women and girls everywhere. At IPPF, we are committed to reducing the number of deaths of women and girls who are forced to turn to unsafe abortion methods for fear of arrests and harassment. We will continue to supply and support safe and legal abortion services and care for women and girls everywhere.” The petitioners were represented by the Center for Reproductive Rights advocates Martin Onyango, Head of Legal Strategies for Africa, and Prudence Mutiso, Legal Advisor for Africa. Center fact sheet: “The Impact of the Misalignment Between Kenya’s Constitution and the Penal Code on Access to Reproductive Health Care”

Tea party OK
22 August 2023

The Maputo Tea Party: How IPPFAR Brought Human Rights to the Digital Space

In planning to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Maputo Protocol, it became evident that many young people may be unaware of the protocol and its contents since it was created before their birth or when they were toddlers. The IPPFAR social media campaign, titled “Got the Maputo Tea?” stood out as a solution to drive forward the message and the agenda of the Maputo Protocol. This campaign kicked off on 6th July 2023 and concluded on 10th August 2023, and targeted girls aged 20 and thereabouts. The campaign has been a lesson in digital innovation, as it sought to channel the power of social media to raise awareness, ignite conversations and drive engagement with a young target audience. Here’s a quick recap of the campaign. The Maputo Protocol is a landmark treaty that was adopted by the African Union in 2003. It is the first international human rights treaty to specifically address the rights of women in Africa. The Protocol covers a wide range of issues, including: Gender equality and non-discrimination: The Protocol affirms the right of women to be equal to men in all aspects of life, and prohibits all forms of discrimination against women. Violence against women: The Protocol defines violence against women and girls, and commits States Parties to take measures to prevent and eradicate all forms of violence against women. Sexual and reproductive health and rights: The Protocol recognizes the right of women to sexual and reproductive health and rights, including the right to safe and legal abortion. Economic and social rights: The Protocol recognizes the right of women to economic and social rights, including the right to work, the right to education, and the right to health care. The Maputo Tea Party Event Converging Passion and Purpose  To kick off the 20th Anniversary of the Maputo Protocol celebration, the Maputo Tea Party Event was held at the IPPFAR office on 6th July 2023. To bring this event to life, IPPFAR staff, partners, social media campaign influencers and vibrant young individuals came together to share information and hold an open discussion on the Maputo Protocol. The event was physically attended by more than 75 participants and featured a panel of 5 stakeholders leading the discussion. Online, through live streaming, another 162 individuals experienced the event.  University Street Shoot to Nurture Awareness and Spark Conversation  To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Maputo Protocol on the 11th of July 2023, the campaign influencers participated in a street shoot targeting students from Strathmore University, Nairobi. The students were prompted with the question “Do you know about the Maputo Tea?” Their responses revealed the varying levels of awareness and opened the door for insightful conversations. A total of 30 students participated and were captured on video. Following their participation, participants were treated to a cup of tea, creating the atmosphere for sharing information and vital insights about the protocol’s profound significance. Using Technology to Bring Out the African Spirit Being dynamic on the IPPFAR social media platforms was at the heart of the Got the Maputo Tea campaign. A revolutionary approach of using AI-generated images that seamlessly incorporate African elements while bringing out the African spirit was included in the visual posts. With African women joyfully sharing tea, laughing together or the more solemn facial expressions on some posts, the images resonated with different emotional appeals. These images and their captions were shared across different platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. The posts were designed to reach a diverse audience and drive forth empowering messaging.   Amplifying the Message with Influencer Voices Central to the campaign’s success were two female influencers, Michelle Brendah and Leslie Muthoni (Anxietities). Through a blend of video narratives and sharing of key visuals, they actively participated in the campaign from inception to culmination. Their contributions helped to foster resonance and connection with their followers across different social media platforms. To create a ripple effect in the communication, a network of 30 nano-influencers also participated in the campaign using Twitter and TikTok as the main platforms. Their active and enthusiastic participation resulted in the campaign hashtag #maputoteaparty trending on the date of the 20th Anniversary celebration, 11th July 2023, on Twitter. Videos and an Article as Catalysts for Change For exciting and engaging content creation, videos from the Maputo Tea Party and the University Street Shoot were used to provide educational narratives about the Maputo Protocol. These videos were edited and used as both organic and sponsored posts on social media platforms. The aim of these videos was to offer deeper education to audiences and connect with them on a more emotional level. An article to kick off the campaign was also featured on the IPPFAR website and shared across its social media pages. To the reading audience, the article helped offer guidance on the campaign’s objectives, activities, and accomplishments. The "Got the Maputo Tea?" campaign was a success, with over 268,000 views and impressions from social media posts and videos. The campaign also resonated with the young target audience, with over 24,350 likes on social media posts. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of this protocol, the "Got the Maputo Tea?" campaign has laid a strong foundation for furthering its aims and ideals. It has proven that creative digital strategy can make human rights issues relatable and inspiring to youth. The passion and dedication of all involved have made this campaign a remarkable success story of using social media for social good. IPPFAR has set a new benchmark for bringing important regional issues to the digital space.

FON family photo
16 March 2023

Feminist Opportunities Now: Empowering Feminist Organizations Around the World

Feminist Opportunities Now (FON) is a programme that aims to build capacity of feminist organisations via subgrants to enhance more diverse and resilience Civil Society Organisations when addressing and responding to gender-based violence, inequalities, discrimination and other human rights violations related to gender. International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Region (IPPFAR) is the FON consortium lead, with the other consortium partners being Médecins du Monde (MdM-FR), Creating Resources for Empowerment and Action Inc. (CREA), the International Federation on Human Rights (FIDH) and Empow’Her (EH). The programme is funded by the French Government via the French Development Agency (AFD). The action of the consortium's member organizations is based on feminist principles, a deep commitment to the promotion of human rights and the fight against inequalities and discrimination, especially against women and girls. They have a long experience of the themes of the programme mandates and complementary expertise that underpin the robustness of the holistic approach of the programme.   The Challenge  Gender inequalities on a global scale affect half of the world's population. Gender inequality is one of the main obstacles to human development. The FON Programme seeks to address such inequalities. Some of the challenges leading to these inequalities include: Lack of and/or effective implementation of comprehensive laws, policies, legal instruments to address gender inequalities worldwide, leading to increased gender inequalities. Lack of or limited implementation of the frameworks, which widens inequalities and aggravate the precariousness of women and girls- particularly people with disabilities, living with HIV, sex workers, and those of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI)  COVID-19 that dramatically exacerbated social and economic challenges leading to an increase in gender-based violence (GBV).  Inadequate involvement of people with disabilities (15% of the world's population), LGBTI+, sex workers and people living with HIV-AIDS, in initiatives to promote and defend their rights, and the least associated in preventing and responding to this violence. Inadequate support to nascent or relatively new Civil Society Organizations many of which remain undeclared, and, despite their effervescence and dynamism, they continue to face challenges that restrict their ability to reduce GBV and protect and promote women's rights. Limited creation of an innovative and flexible financing system in order to strengthen the contribution of CSOs in the South, in all their diversity, to the reduction of GBV. Objectives of the Programme  To Improve the sustainability of feminist Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) at the organizational and technical levels by proposing an inclusive approach to capacity building.   To support the resilience and diversity of feminist CSOs through access to flexible sustainable financing mechanisms tailored to small and/or informal and/or marginalized CSOs. To strengthen a networked movement of feminist CSOs in the Global South, linking these CSOs and national, regional, and international networks, to make their voices heard on the public stage.     To promote innovation at all levels of the programme by the CSOs themselves and the consortium member organisations.   Targets of the Programme  Feminist CSOs working with and/or for the various structurally excluded groups. Activist organizations working with or led by people who may face particularly high discrimination. Gender inequalities and GBV, such as members of the LGBTI+ community and in general people with diverse sexual orientation and gender identities and Gender Expressions (SOGIE). People living with disabilities. People with HIV/AIDS.  Sex workers.  Indirectly, targets of advocacy activities (regional bodies, national / local authorities, etc)   Approaches of the Programme  Feminist Opportunities Now (FON) aims to build capacity of feminist organisations via subgrants to enhance more diverse and resilient Civil Society Organisations when addressing and responding to gender-based violence, inequalities, discrimination, and other human rights violations related to gender. FON will set up Regional Coordination and Advisory Committees in each region (Africa, Asia and Latin America), whose role will be to help ensure inclusiveness and identify advocacy opportunities. The Sub-granting will be phased into three categories or funding windows below, and for which the first call for proposals is scheduled to be launched in April 2023: Window 1 / "Boost" The objective is for the feminist CSOs or young feminists to have the enhanced capacity to face external events (political instability, insecurity, etc.) and/or internal hurdles (organisational difficulties, necessary a project co-funding or additional programme component etc.). This window should also allow CSOs to apply for a grant in case of an upcoming opportunity such as in programming, advocacy, etc. Key words are therefore flexibility and opportunity. Window 2/ "Programmatic & Organizational Development" will support small and middle-size CSOs and young feminists that are trying to grow from an organisational, technical and programmatic point of view. The objective is to simultaneously fund a programme while reinforcing the capacities of the recipient organizations programme. Window 3 / "Synergies" will fund networks, movements and alliances to implement advocacy activities on GBV, and organizations that want to get involved in existing networks.  It will promote network and alliance building and promote visibility on national, regional and international platforms.   Location Justification  Equity is a pillar integrated in the FON implementation strategy. The programme will be implemented in 10 countries including six in Africa (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Kenya, and  potentially Niger), two in Latin America (Colombia and Mexico) and two in Asia (Bangladesh and Sri Lanka). FON put great consideration to determine the location of the implementation of the programme using below criteria: Countries where the needs of CSOs for support are strong and the potential for exchanges and collaborations is high. Existing normative and policy frameworks but little or no implementation and respect in national law. The needs of the populations are immense and in varying proportions from one country to another, also revealing a wide potential for learning and training. Contexts that exacerbate gender-based violence and increase the need for support for feminist CSOs. Potential for collaboration with other existing and/or new interventions.  To read more about the FON consortium partners' workshop, click here.  

Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry

Feminist Opportunities Now: Empowering Feminist Organisations Around The World

7 February 2023, Nairobi, Kenya – The International Planned Parenthood (IPPF) Africa Region in collaboration with the French Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, launches a new program which aims at strengthening feminist civil society organisations (CSOs) in 10 countries and over 3 continents – the Feminist Opportunities Now (FON) project. The Feminist Opportunities Now project will help small feminist local organisations become more diverse and resilient when addressing and responding to gender-based violence, inequalities, discrimination and other human rights violations related to gender. The program is funded by the French Government via the French Development Agency (AFD). This project will be implemented in 10 countries, including six in Africa (Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Ethiopia, Kenya and potentially Niger). Others are Colombia, Mexico, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Speaking during the launch of the FON project held at the French Embassy in Nairobi on 7 February, the IPPF Africa Regional Director, Ms. Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry said “gender-based violence in all its forms is recognised as a human rights violation by the international human rights framework and jurisprudence. Gender inequality, power imbalance and lack of respect for human rights are often the root causes of such heinous acts and prevent survivors from accessing and enjoying their full sexual and reproductive health and rights. As human rights defenders, we must all take a stand and put a stop to these inexcusable acts.” The Feminist Opportunities Now is a project which is grounded on feminist principles with a deep commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights and the fight against inequalities and discrimination, especially against women and girls. END For media enquiries, please contact: Mahmoud Garga, Lead Specialist -Strategic Communication, Media Relations and Digital Campaigning, IPPF Africa Regional Office (IPPFARO) on [email protected] / Tel: +254 704 626 920 ABOUT THE FEMINIST OPPORTUNITIES NOW (FON) PROJECT The objective of the project Feminist Opportunities Now (FON), is to build the capacity of women's movements, via sub-grants to feminist organisations, with a particular effort to reaching small, often non-registered, organisations to address and respond to gender-based violence. The programme is developed based on an ecological model, using multi-disciplinary gender-transformative approaches. In addition to direct sub-granting (for € 7 million), FON will also provide a unique opportunity for longer-term mentorship to support feminist organisations in their overall development, with trainings specifically tailored to their needs. FON will also uniquely support the organisations to identify other/diverse sources of funding and also includes a research-action component to understand how these approaches can be scaled-up and made sustainable. ABOUT IPPF AFRICA REGION (IPPFAR) The International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Region (IPPFAR) is one of the leading sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service delivery organization in Africa, and a leading sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) advocacy voice in the region. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the overarching goal of IPPFAR is to increase access to SRHR services to the most vulnerable youth, men and women in sub-Saharan Africa. Learn more about us on our website. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and You Tube. ABOUT THE FEMINIST OPPORTUNITIES NOW CONSORTIUM The consortium that will implement this project is composed of the International Federation for Family Planning Africa Regional Office as lead agency, Creating Resources for Empowerment and Action Inc. (CREA), Empow'Her (EH), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Médecins du Monde-France (MdM-FR).  

FON cover 1

Feminist Opportunities Now (FON)

      CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST The International Planned Parenthood Federation for Africa Region (IPPFAR) is pleased to announce a call for Expressions of Interest for interested organizations to become involved in their Feminist Opportunities Now (FON) programme, and join the Regional Coordination and Advisory Committee (RCAC), the advisory body that will to ensure inclusive and participatory governance of FON’s grant-making mechanism for feminist organizations across Africa: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Guinea, the Ivory Coast, Kenya and potentially Niger.   Apply by 19 February 2023 More infos : https://bit.ly/3wJeV7o    

Bungoma county training
24 November 2022

Bridging the knowledge gap on abortion care; addressing & reducing incidence of increased maternal mortality and morbidity

In Kenya, abortion is regulated by article 26(4) of the Constitution which states that: abortion is permitted (and legal) when in the opinion of a trained health professional, there is need for emergency treatment, or the life or health of the mother is in danger, or if permitted by any other written law. Unsafe abortion in Kenya is among the highest in Africa. According to Dr Ann Kihara from the International Federation of Gygaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) maternal mortality is high at about 6,000 deaths per year and 17% of them are as a result of complications from unsafe abortion. Most of these cases have moderate to severe complications requiring specialized treatment and often have lasting health effects. Despite these statistics, most healthcare providers in Kenya lack comprehensive knowledge on the laws that and access to abortion care, and the skills to effectively assess, recommend and provide abortion care within the constitutional provision. Moreover, existing adverse social cultural and religious beliefs create barriers for effective counseling, assessment, referrals, and provision of life saving comprehensive abortion services. Through the support of the Guttmacher Institute and the International Plan Parenthood Federation Africa Region (IPPFAR), Reproductive Health Network Kenya (RHNK) conducted a training for private healthcare providers on Comprehensive Abortion Care (CAC) from 17th to 21st October 2022 in Bungoma County, Western Kenya. The training included in depth learning activities and discussions on the legal framework for comprehensive abortion care, consequences of unsafe abortion in Kenya, counselling for post abortion care (PAC), infection prevention, complications and management, counselling for informed decision making in post abortion care and pain management. The main objective of the training was to contribute towards reduction of abortion stigma and creating an enabling environment for quality service provision by private healthcare providers in the County. Beverlynn Juma, a service provider in Misikhu, shared: “Bungoma County has high incidents of unsafe abortions because people are not open about it, so many unsafe abortions go unreported. CAC training will enable most service providers to be open about the fact that they provide safe abortion services, leading to increased awareness of the availability of these services. Reproductive Health Network Kenya in partnership with the county government will improve the state of abortion by enabling girls to be able to go for the procedure freely hence reducing mortality rates’’. From the testimonials shared by Beverly and other healthcare providers in the training; access to safe abortion information in Bungoma County is also limited due to knowledge gaps on the legality of the service and their obligation as providers. Martin Onyango, the Strategic Legal Expert at the Centre for Reproductive Rights Africa Region stated that his hope and wish is that “…the training invokes the desire to offer safe services by providers and equally empower them to be champions and advocates for safe abortion in their county”. The Bungoma County Reproductive Health Coordinator, Mrs. Christine Naliaka expressed her appreciation for the training and partnership between RHNK and the County government of Bungoma, which in her opinion is very timely and said: “there still exists stigma of CAC & PAC services, clients still hide and don’t open up to safe abortion services despite inevitable conditions like miscarriages. Some of the challenges faced by the facilities in provision of abortion services is that the providers don’t display PAC services on their service charters, no financial allocation of PAC/CAC services from the county government, reporting tools are not available in all facilities, and there is no capacity building of the providers”.   She acknowledged the contribution of partners in promoting service access as most clients from Bungoma receive services from private facilities. Christine also recommended support supervision visits after the training to ascertain whether the providers are compliant and giving quality services such as PAC/CAC as an emergency service. She also mentioned that collaborations and partnership between should be deepened to bridge the information gap in service access, and critically partners should work seamlessly with the county structures to provide more information to the public while working on building the capacity of the providers to create a favorable working environment, and stronger continuum of care.  “The training has been successful especially in terms of establishing a network of providers in Bungoma County as well as filling the gaps in terms of skills gap and having necessary knowledge to provide the services. We believe that the providers we have trained will be part of the network for Bungoma County under RHNK umbrella and provide quality services especially to the under-reached population, the youth, adolescents and women in the rural areas.’’ Dr. Wambulwa, Bungoma County Pharmacist. In order to reduce maternal mortality, it is critical that key stakeholders’ intensify preventive promotive SRHR campaigns for right holders’ awareness of their needs. Stakeholders’ should also promote public-private partnership in building the capacity of Health Care Providers in understanding their professional roles and provision of fundamental human rights. “We applaud the County Government of Bungoma, and all the other partnerships and actors who are working continually and untiringly to expand access to abortion care. Almost 90% of abortions in countries with liberal abortion laws are considered safe, compared to only 25% in countries where abortion is banned. This is a serious violation of human rights. Medical abortion has revolutionised access to care and safe abortion, both inside and outside the health system. These advances must be protected, and at IPPF we are committed to expanding the knowledge of and acceptance around abortion care, reducing the number of deaths of women and girls who are forced to turn to unsafe abortion methods,” said Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry, Regional Director of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Africa Region. The government should prioritize aligning SRHR legal frameworks to create an enabling environment for access to information and healthcare by all. They should ensure increased funds allocation to SRHR including abortion commodities and equipment in both public and private facilities for access to quality and comprehensive SRHR. In conclusion there is need for investment in research for continuous SRHR evidence generation to inform current and future programming centered on the needs of providers, communities and other stakeholders.

Condom King
17 December 2021

Meet Kenya’s Celebrated 'King of Condoms', Stanley Ngara

Stanley Ngara, from Kenya, is commonly known as the ‘King of Condom’. Stanley spends his days educating people about safe sex practices and distributing condoms. He distributes condoms -for free- to different groups of people among them youth, sex workers, motorbike riders, university students, market traders and even drug users. Stanley is passionate about raising awareness on issues of sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR), including HIV and AIDS. IPPF Africa Region met Stanley during one of his regular outreach activities in his home area of Kiambu County, located in Kenya’s Central region, and brings you his story. IPPF supports champions like Stanley, who are committed to raising awareness on different SRHR issues in their communities.

Reproductive Health Network Kenya

The Reproductive Health Network Kenya (RHNK) is a network of health professionals within private and public facilities committed to Comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, advocacy and service provision. The network was formed to provide evidence-based information and quality comprehensive reproductive health services in Kenya.

RHNK’s main strategic goal is to contribute to the reduction of maternal morbidity and mortality with a focus on the two among other five causes of maternal mortality and morbidity which is postpartum haemorrhage and unsafe abortion.

RHNK runs a network of trained Adolescents and youth headed by RHNK adolescents and youth program officer. The adolescents and youth network is effective in providing CSRH information, referrals and linkage to services.

With the rising opposition which was witnessed immediately after the reinstatement and expansion of the global gag rule also known as the Mexican policy, RHNK with other civil society organizations developed Strategies to counter opposition.

The pool of RHNK trained health care providers to provide SRH information and services, including comprehensive abortion care across the country.

Training of the network providers on SRHR Law, policies and communications. RHNK works with the Center for Reproductive Rights CRR who provides strategic litigation and pro-bono legal support to the Network providers.

Read the RHNK 2021 Annual Report here.

Follow RHNK on Twitter, Facebook and You Tube. See the RHNK website here.

Safe abortion course

IPPF launches free online medical abortion course

Training co-created with How To Use Abortion Pill Training endorsed by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Training course complete with quizzes and an option to download a certificate upon successful completion Course comes as World Health Organisation (WHO) issues new guidelines on abortion care and will help put the WHO guidelines into practice globally Over 25 million unsafe abortions occur each year From 2015 to 2019 in Kenya, there were 2,380,000 pregnancies annually. Of these, 1,450,000 pregnancies were unintended and 551,000 ended in abortion Landmark High Court of Kenya ruling in March 2022 affirms abortion care as a fundamental right under the Constitution of Kenya Nairobi – 20th September 2022 – International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and HowToUseAbortionPill.org have developed a free online medical abortion training course to equip healthcare workers with the necessary skills to provide care for women seeking medical abortion up to 13 weeks’ gestation. The course is aimed at the full range of providers, including physicians, midwives, pharmacists, medical students and community health workers. The course, which has been endorsed by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), is a seven-lesson video series accessible via the link https://elearning.howtouseabortionpill.org. It covers an overview of abortion care; how to support a medical abortion; symptoms, side effects and complications; and aftercare. The training is framed around four principles of care: person-centred care, rights-based care, quality, and privacy and confidentiality. “Abortion care continues to be left off medical training curriculums,” said Mallah Tabot, Lead SRHR Programming at IPPF Africa Region. “This online course will fill a critical gap in the education of many health workers. It has the potential to significantly increase the number of health workers with the skills and knowledge to provide abortion care, especially in low-resource settings, and thereby increase the number of women supported to safely end a pregnancy.” Unsafe abortion remains a serious global threat to women's health and safety, causing an estimated 7 million hospitalizations and up to 13% of all maternal deaths worldwide each year. Medical abortion is a non-invasive method using two pills - mifepristone and misoprostol - or misoprostol alone.  Medical abortion is safe and effective and is recommended by the Word Health Organisation (WHO). Between 2015 and 2019 in Kenya, there were a total of 2,380,000 pregnancies annually. Of these, 1,450,000 pregnancies were unintended and 551,000 ended in abortion. in Nigeria, there were a total of 10,500,000 pregnancies annually with 2,990,000 unintended and 1,430,000 ended in abortion. In both countries, abortion is legal to preserve the pregnant person’s health. However, a majority of abortions are carried out by unqualified practitioners who run unsafe clinics. “Research shows that when women cannot access safe abortion care, they often seek unsafe methods,”  said Rebecca Wilkins, Technical Lead, Abortion at IPPF.  “This training course provides the information and resources necessary for health workers to support women who choose to have a safe abortion with pills in early pregnancy either within or outside a clinical setting.” The course is hosted on a login-based web portal which can be accessed from desktop or mobile and is structured to be an interactive learning experience, complete with quizzes and an option to download a certificate upon successful completion. In March this year, WHO issued new guidelines on abortion care.  The updated guidelines contain more than 50 recommendations covering clinical practice, health service delivery, and policy and legal actions including ensuring access to quality medical abortion pills. The new online training course is aligned to the clinical protocols recommended in the WHO guidelines. A landmark ruling by the High Court of Kenya in Malindi this year affirmed the right to abortion as a fundamental right under the Kenyan Constitution.  The ruling in a case filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights and Reproductive Health Network Kenya (RHNK) in 2020 against government officials involved the arrest of a minor and a clinician. It has set a precedent against arbitrary arrests and prosecution of patients and health care providers for seeking or offering abortion services. Such arrests and prosecutions are now deemed illegal according to the new ruling. ENDs  For further information, download the media kit HERE or contact: PR Consultant Njeri Wangari              Tel: +254 (0)722353657, e-mail: [email protected] IPPF: Mahmoud Garga                     Tel.   +254 (0) 704626920, e-mail: [email protected]    Catherine Kilfedder                                                         e-mail: [email protected]   ABOUT IPPF AFRICA REGION (IPPFAR) The International Planned Parenthood Federation Africa Region (IPPFAR) is one of the leading sexual and reproductive health (SRH) service delivery organizations in Africa and a leading sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) advocacy voice in the region. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the overarching goal of IPPFAR is to increase access to SRHR services to the most vulnerable youth, men and women, in sub-Saharan Africa.  Supported by thousands of volunteers, IPPFAR tackles the continent's growing SRHR challenges through a network of Member Associations (MAs) in 40 countries. We do this by developing our MAs into efficient entities with the capacity to deliver and sustain high-quality, youth-focused and gender-sensitive services.  We work with Governments, the African Union, Regional Economic Commissions, the Pan-African Parliament, and United Nations bodies, among others, to expand political and financial commitments to sexual and reproductive health and rights in Africa.  Learn more about us on our website. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Roe v Wade
13 May 2022

Stepping up to contain the Roe v Wade shock wave in Africa: Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry and Nelly Munyasia

By Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry and Nelly Munyasia. Last month, the High Court of Malindi in Kenya ruled that abortion care is a fundamental right under the Constitution of Kenya and that arbitrary arrests and prosecution of patients and healthcare providers for seeking or offering abortion services is illegal. The High Court further confirmed that criminalizing abortion under Penal Code without Constitutional statutory framework is an impairment to the enjoyment of women’s reproductive right and directed the Parliament of Kenya to enact an abortion law and public policy framework that aligns with the Kenyan Constitution.  This incredible result was made possible owing to the efforts of Reproductive HealthNetwork Kenya (RHNK), a network of health professionals within private and public facilities committed to comprehensive sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR), advocacy, and service provision, and the Centre for Reproductive Rights (CRR), a non-profit legal advocacy organization dedicated to promoting and defending reproductive rights worldwide. According to Guttmacher, globally over 120 million unintended pregnancies occurred each year between 2015 and 2019, 61% of which ended in abortion. In countries that restrict access to abortion, the percentage of unintended pregnancies ending in abortion has increased over the past 30 years, from 36% in 1990–1994 to 50% in 2015–2019. Last week, a leaked draft opinion from the United States (US) Supreme Court hinted at a likely overturning of the 1973 landmark Supreme Court decision in Roe V Wade which effectively legalized abortion across all US states. When Roe V Wade was passed some 50 years ago, it set the standard for progressive laws worldwide allowing women to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. 50 years later, the possibility of retrogressing this constitutional commitment in the US and in the rest of the world is looking more likely than ever. Such a decision would de facto open the floodgates of arrests and prosecution of patients and healthcare providers seeking or offering abortion services both in the United States and across the world. Such a move from a global power would also give grist to the anti-abortion mill worldwide, granting anti-abortion groups traction, funding, and legitimacy, and disrupting already scant services and scarce funding to civil society organisations that support the right to abortion care. In 2020, an investigation by the media organisation, Open Democracy, revealed that US right wing funding was behind “pregnancy crisis centres” which claim to provide “advice” to pregnant women but really advocate against termination of pregnancy and the right to abortion care. Moreover, if anti-abortion groups increase or expand, sexual and reproductive health and rights networks will have to redirect their energy towards stopping harmful reproductive coercion against women’s or couples’ will instead of focusing efforts on holding their governments accountable to expanding access and implement existing abortion legislation efficiently. While lawmakers have made progress in parts of the world, they have walked back on the advances made in others. They deny the science and play politics with women’s bodily integrity challenging well-grounded evidence that banning abortion does not lead to fewer women seeking or opting for abortions; and regrettably forcing women who want to safely end a pregnancy to turn to dangerous alternatives. They also oblige healthcare providers to choose between saving a woman’s life and facing criminal charges and jail time. As evidence demonstrates, there is no such thing as prohibiting abortion. There is only banning safe abortion.  Fundamental reproductive rights are under attack by anti-gender and anti-rights extremists, guised in lawmakers’ cloaks. We know from our experience of working on ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), in Kenya and in the rest of the world, that anti- rights and anti-gender opposition groups have fought long and hard to control women’s bodies and deny them their reproductive rights. Nelly Munyasia- Executive Director Reproductive Health Network Kenya (RHNK). “As a service providing organisation, we have faced numerous challenges including provider arrest, harassment and extortion by the police. We have witnessed the opposition targeting and threatening our providers including protesting in front of their clinics and launching hateful online petitions. This development in the US is moving us backwards and taking away women’s rights, reducing their ability to achieve their full potential in society. It will also have economic implications for decades to come. This equally puts health care providers at risk of violence and abuse by the opposition, and harassment by the police.” Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry, Africa Regional Director, International Planned Parenthood Federation of whom RHNK is a collaborative partner added:  "Access to abortion care is a human right, essential to guarantee the health and reproductive rights of women and girls everywhere. At IPPF, we are committed to reducing the number of deaths of women and girls who are forced to turn to unsafe abortion methods for fear of arrests and harassment. In partnership with our Collaborative Partner, RHNK and other powerful voices in the region and beyond, we will continue to supply and support safe and legal abortion services and care for women and girls everywhere, challenge regressive laws and protect the rights of women and girls to have autonomy over their own bodies, including to safely end a pregnancy if they so wish." Now more than ever, we must take a stand against this erosion of a woman’s fundamental right to her own bodily autonomy. Working in silos is no longer an option. As a global SRHR ecosystem, we must come together, protect past hard-fought wins, mobilise, and strategize to protect women and girls’ rights, including their right to abortion care. **END*** Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry is the Africa Regional Director at the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). Born in Guadeloupe, she has over 30 years of international human rights experience and leads her team to advocate, promote, and deliver sexual and reproductive health and rights in 42 sub-Saharan countries. Her leadership helps ensure that IPPF Africa Region, through locally owned organizations, protects and safeguards the rights of the most vulnerable in society. Nelly Munyasia is the Executive Director at Reproductive Health Network Kenya (RHNK) a network of trained and committed providers ensuring access to quality and comprehensive SRHR. She is a trained nurse-midwife and a health systems expert. Nelly is an award-winning global citizen committed to championing and advocating for quality sexual and reproductive health for women, girls and young people.

IPPF_Isabel Corthier
26 March 2022

High Court Judgement in Malindi Protects Women, Girls and Healthcare Providers from Arbitrary Abortion-Related Arrests and Prosecutions

March 26, 2022 (MALINDI) – In a landmark verdict today, the High Court of Malindi has ruled that safe abortion care is a fundamental right under the Constitution of Kenya and that arbitrary arrests and prosecution of patients and healthcare providers, for seeking or offering such services, is completely illegal. Specifically, the Court ruled that:  Abortion care is a fundamental right under the Constitution of Kenya and that arbitrary arrests and prosecution of patients and healthcare providers seeking or offering such services is illegal. Protecting access to abortion impacts vital Constitutional values, including dignity, autonomy, equality, and bodily integrity. Criminalizing abortion under Penal Code without Constitutional statutory framework is an impairment to the enjoyment of women’s reproductive right For years, women and girls in Kenya have faced sustained and pervasive discrimination hampering their access to seeking reproductive healthcare services; the 1963 Penal Code criminalizes all abortion care, including those allowed under the Constitution 2010, which guarantees the right to healthcare, including access to reproductive health services. The Constitution only permits safe abortion if in the opinion of a trained health professional, there is need for emergency treatment, or the life or health of the mother is at risk/in danger. The court case in question, filed in November 2020, involved PAK, a minor 16 years of age from Kilifi County. PAK experienced complications during pregnancy and immediately sought medical care at a nearby clinic where a trained clinical officer attended to her. Upon examining her, the clinical officer determined that she had lost the pregnancy and proceeded to provide her with essential and life-saving post-abortion care. Policy officers stormed the clinic, in the midst of the treatment, stopping the medical procedure and confiscating PAK’s treatment records. They then proceeded to illegally arrest both PAK and the clinical officer. Both were taken to Ganze Police Patrol Base where PAK was not allowed to access further medical care for the next two days and was forced to sign a statement which was contrary to PAK’s description of the events. The police also forced PAK to undergo another detailed medical examination at Kilifi County Hospital to obtain evidence to prove the alleged offence of abortion. The clinical officer was detained for one week while PAK was remanded to a juvenile remand for more than a month, whilst she and her family sought to secure the cash bail for her release. The Malindi High Court has further directed the Parliament to enact an abortion law and public policy framework that aligns with the Kenyan Constitution. Additionally, the Court has confirmed that communication between a patient and the healthcare provider is confidential, which is guaranteed and protected under the Constitution and other enabling laws, save for where the disclosure is consented to by the patient or is in the public interest in line with the limitations as provided for in the Constitution. In its decision, the Court also ruled that PAK was recovering from medical procedure and police did not have the medical qualifications to determine and confirm that she was medically-fit to leave the clinic, regardless of her admission status at the clinic. Additionally, the Court found that PAK’s arrest was inhuman and degrading, and being a minor, she ought not to have been interrogated without legal representation. Evelyne Opondo, Senior Regional Director for Africa at Center for Reproductive Rights said, “Today’s victory is for all women, girls, and healthcare providers who have been treated as criminals for seeking and providing abortion care. The court has vindicated our position by affirming that forcing a woman to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term or to seek out an unsafe abortion is a gross violation of her rights to privacy and bodily autonomy. Further, the continued restrictive abortion laws inhibit quality improvement possible to protect women with unintended pregnancies.” Nelly Munyasia, Executive Director of Reproductive Health Network Kenya (RHNK), a network of reproductive health providers whose member was the second petitioner in this case, welcomed the court’s decision. “Many qualified reproductive healthcare practitioners continue to be arrested, detained, and prosecuted for providing legal medical care. The court’s decision confirms that prosecution against health providers cannot hold where the prosecution has not established that; the health professional in question was unqualified to conduct the procedure; the life or health of the woman was not in danger or the woman was not in need of emergency treatment,” Ms. Munyasia said. Marie-Evelyne Petrus-Barry, Regional Director from the International Planned Parenthood Federation of whom Reproductive Health Rights Network Kenya is a collaborative partner added: “We are absolutely delighted to hear this news and applaud the High Court of Malindi's ruling confirming that abortion care is a fundamental right under the Constitution of Kenya and that arbitrary arrests and prosecution of patients and healthcare providers for seeking or offering such services is illegal. We are also very pleased to hear that the Court has directed Parliament to enact an abortion law and public policy framework that aligns with the Constitution. This is a victory for women and girls not only in Kenya, but across Africa! Access to quality abortion is essential to guarantee the health and reproductive rights of women and girls everywhere. At IPPF, we are committed to reducing the number of deaths of women and girls who are forced to turn to unsafe abortion methods for fear of arrests and harassment. We will continue to supply and support safe and legal abortion services and care for women and girls everywhere.” The petitioners were represented by the Center for Reproductive Rights advocates Martin Onyango, Head of Legal Strategies for Africa, and Prudence Mutiso, Legal Advisor for Africa. Center fact sheet: “The Impact of the Misalignment Between Kenya’s Constitution and the Penal Code on Access to Reproductive Health Care”