Securing Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Jan 20

Who: FOKUS

What: Women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights

Where: Colombia, Guatemala and Tanzania

Project period: 2019-2021

Web: FOKUS

With the support of Grieg Foundation, FOKUS - Forum for Women and Development promotes women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights in Colombia and Guatemala. Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are decisions about one’s body, sexuality, relationships, marriage, and if, when and with whom to have children. Access to contraception, comprehensive sexual education, safe abortion and other SRHR services without discrimination nor coercion increases women’s and girls’ ability to make decisions about their bodies and lives and is critical to achieving gender equality.

To improve women and girls’ sexual and reproductive health and rights in Colombia and Guatemala, FOKUS cooperates with five local partner organizations: Fundación Oriéntame, Fondo Lunaria Mujer and La Mesa por la Salud y la Vida de las Mujeres in Colombia, and with Mujeres Transformando el Mundo and Grupo Multidisciplinarioin Guatemala. The work takes place in conflict-affected and/or poor rural and urban communities where access to information and public health services is scarce. The target groups are women and girls, including indigenous, Afro-descendants, lesbian, bisexual and trans women, and women and girls with disabilities. It is not easy to advocate for women and girls’ sexual and reproductive health and rights in Colombia and Guatemala, but there is a strong and growing women’s movement striving for positive change.

Grieg Foundation has supported this line of work since 2019. More than 9,000 women and girls in Colombia have received comprehensive sexual education, and over 1,000 professionals such as healthcare workers, psychologists, government and justice officials have been trained in SRHR to strengthen their role as public service providers. With the support from Grieg Foundation, FOKUS and partners ensured legal assistance for 12 girls and women in Guatemala who were raped and had unwanted pregnancies as a result. Sexual violence is a big problem and taboo in Guatemala and Colombia, but campaigns on the streets and in social media against femicides and sexual violence reached more than 35,000 people in 2019. These campaigns are raising the public’s awareness about women and girls’ rights and contribute to legal, political and cultural change.

“An 11-year old girl in my community got pregnant with a much older man. the family said nothing. Woman’s sexual and reproductive are taboo in Columbia and it effects young girls the most

**- Jessica, Colombia**

“I had a older boyfriend that was more experienced than me and I didn’t know what that ment. Thanks to these workshops I have now learnt how to protect myself from getting sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy”

**- Yarleidis, Columbia**

“I am very glad i could participate because i have learnt about different forms of contraception and how I can talk to my parents about these things”

**- Deisy, Columbia**

Thanks to the Grieg Foundation, women like Jessica Narváez have become role models for young girls in Colombia. Jessica was provided training in sexual and reproductive health and rights, and she is now sharing her knowledge with more girls in her community, like Yarleidis and Deisy.