Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of girls and women will not be possible without the realization of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). SRHR are critical for women and girls in all their diversities to have healthy lives, to address violence and power relations, to be free to participate in social, economic and political life, and to freely make decisions governing their bodies.
Despite growing global recognition of the importance of sexual and reproductive health and rights, international financial commitments in this area are falling short in the face of escalating global challenges like limited resources, rising inequalities, and shifting political priorities. This report responds to these challenges by exploring the role of innovative financing mechanisms (IFMs) in complementing Official Development Assistance (ODA) and ensuring sustainable, rights-based SRHR investments.
The report identifies five IFMs with high potential for applicability to SRHR interventions: Debt-2-Health swaps, volume guarantees, results-based financing (e.g., development impact bonds), innovative taxation earmarked for SRHR, and crowdfunding models. Each addresses an existing gap in traditional funding approaches, whether by mobilizing domestic resources, SRHR supplies cost reduction, creating more fiscal space, increasing efficiency, or strengthening local ownership.
To assess their relevance, each mechanism was evaluated using a set of tailored criteria: effectiveness and impact; sustainability and scalability; equity and accessibility—particularly for marginalized groups; context sensitivity; and alignment with rights-based and decolonial approaches.
Finally, this report offers an opportunity to showcase some of the strategic steps needed to effectively engage with IFMs without compromising on a human rights-based approach, and to ensure they are strategically serving the countries and populations they are meant to serve.
If designed and implemented responsibly, with rights and equality at the centre, these tools can help shift not just money, but also power, towards local actors, context-driven solutions, and more inclusive health systems. That being said, it’s important to note that IFMs are not a means to replace donors’ international cooperation funding, rather a complementary tool.
