The realisation of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is critical for the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) on Women, Peace and Security (WPS).
SRHR and WPS are intrinsically linked – they are both integral to advancing gender equality and protecting, respecting, and fulfilling the rights of women and girls in all their diversity, including adolescents, young people, elderly women, LGBTIQ+ people, women with disabilities, Indigenous women, and women from historically marginalised racial, ethnic and religious groups. Without access to life-saving services and bodily autonomy, women and girls’ participation across social and political life is limited, including their engagement in building sustainable peace.
Despite this knowledge and evidence, SRHR are substantially deprioritized at both policy and funding levels by donors, countries and other stakeholders working in both conflict and peacebuilding settings. Without the meaningful inclusion of SRHR in the WPS agenda, there is a risk that the rights of women and girls, including from historically marginalised groups, will be eroded and women & girls will be excluded from effectively participating in the promotion of peace and security.
See the below factsheet for our recommendations on how to include SRHR in WPS National Action Plans.
Credits illustration: Ipsita Divedi
