Everybody, including those who are most marginalized, should be able to realize their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). SRHR are human rights, that allow people to make informed decisions about relationships, their bodies, family planning, sexuality, and wellbeing. It also means having access to a full range of sexual and reproductive health services, including antenatal and maternal care, prevention detection and treatment of STIs, including HIV, choice of safe and effective contraceptive methods, prevention and management of sexual and gender-based violence, and positive comprehensive sexuality education. That is the vision of the Make Way Programme which was launched in Ethiopia. The launch was graced by collaborating partners, representatives from the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education in Ethiopia.
During the event, Kalkidan Asmamaw, AMwA’s project liaison for the Make Way programme in Ethiopia gave a presentation on the importance of intersectionality. The presentation focused on how intersectionality can be used for SRHR programming and advocacy. A panel session was held where young people in their diversities spoke about their challenges in accessing sexual and reproductive services in Ethiopia and they collectively held the duty-bearers accountable.
“Ethiopia wouldn’t have struggled with over-population as much as we do now”. Rahmet Kamil, young SRHR advocate.
“If I have known more about SRH, I wouldn’t have had a baby when I was not ready” – sex worker during the panel discussion.
About the Make Way Programme
Make Way Programme is a five-year programme (2021-2025) that aims to break down barriers to SRHR by promoting a new way of looking at, and organizing, SRHR issues, through an intersectional lens. This means making overlapping vulnerabilities visible to understand their effects on people’s SRHR. With insights and sound data, as a consortium, we develop innovative tools and build capacities of other civil society organizations to advocate the needed policy and societal changes