To browse Academia. The chapters in this book are the outcome of a colloquium that was convened in October at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa. The colloquium sought to explore the potential of augmenting sexual and reproductive health in ways that make optimal use of human rights systems and tools in the African region.
But while the arrangement of the chapters into three parts facilitates the juxtaposition as well as discursiveness analysis of topics that have a closer relationship with one another, it is important to highlight that all the parts are not intended to convey a sense of sacrosanct silos. All the parts and topics in this volume are intertwined and do not yield to sharp demarcations. The article examines the activities of the African Commission with regard to the advancement of sexual and reproductive health and rights in Africa.
The article reviews the importance of applying human rights to sexual and reproductive health issues. It further discusses the promotional and protective mandates of the African Commission with a view to ascertaining whether the Commission has given attention to addressing the sexual and reproductive health challenges facing the region.
In this regard, the paper focuses on two important issues - maternal mortality and same-sex relationships. Based on careful analyses of the promotional and protective mandates of the Commission, it is argued that some efforts have been made towards advancing reproductive health and rights in Africa. However, much more effort is needed with regard to sexual health and rights, especially with regard to issues such as same-sex relationships, sex work and violence against women. In conclusion, some suggestio Background: The continued poor sexual and reproductive health SRH outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa highlight the difficulties in reforming policies and laws, and implementing effective programmes.
This paper uses one international and two national case studies to reflect on the challenges, dilemmas and strategies used in operationalising sexual and reproductive health and rights SRHR in different African contexts. Methods: The international case study focuses on the progress made by African countries in implementing the African Union's Maputo Plan of Action for the Operationalisation of the Continental Policy Framework for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and the experiences of state and non-state stakeholders in this process.
