Situational Analysis of Sexual and Reproductive Health of Persons with Disabilities
Team: Veena Kasat, Susanna Arcella, Melissa Edwards, Megan Fingleton, Cristina Gomez Lucas, Alaina Willing, Larissa Curado, Marisa Westheimer
Semester: Spring 2010
COLLATING ANALYTICAL INFORMATION ON REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ISSUES AND SITUATION OF WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES:
UNFPA's corporate frameworks reflect its commitment to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the first global human rights treaty to address sexual and reproductive health of persons with disabilities. The Fund's Strategic Plan 2008-2011, which provides the overall direction for UNFPA support to countries in the three interrelated focus areas of population and development, reproductive health and gender equality, places a special focus on marginalized groups and makes an explicit reference to women with disabilities. In line with articles 23 and 25 of the Convention, the Strategic Plan provides guidance to UNFPA staff to ensure that persons with disabilities participate in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of culturally- and gender-sensitive policies and programmes that contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, particularly MDGs 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6.
As part of the efforts to raise awareness on the Convention, UNFPA published in 2008 two advocacy resources, namely "Emerging Issues: Sexual and Reproductive Health of Persons with Disabilities" and "Mental, Sexual and Reproductive Health". In addition, UNFPA has published, in collaboration with DESA, "Disability Rights, Gender, and Development: A Resource Tool for Action," a compilation of resource materials aimed at strengthening the knowledge base to support the implementation of the Convention through incorporating the gender perspective in disability actions, particularly sexual and reproductive health. Moreover, UNFPA is currently working with the World Health Organization to produce a guidance note intended to help Country Offices and partners to promote inclusion of persons with disabilities into policies and programmes on a broad array of issues on sexual and reproductive health that include family planning, maternal health, HIV prevention and fight against gender-based violence among others.
At the country level, UNFPA provides technical support for the incorporation of the disability perspective into health policies, programmes and national development frameworks, while advocating for the participation of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes. At the same time, the Fund works to support capacity building and education efforts, as well as positive media involvement to ensure adequate quality of care and response, particularly for young persons living with disabilities.
Purpose of the Exercise: There was the need to develop a corporate strategy to strengthen UNFPA's understanding of the population and development, reproductive health and gender equality issues of persons with disabilities, more particularly women and young people and establish a stronger framework for UNFPA's work on persons with disabilities.
To this end, a working paper describing the main population and development, reproductive health and gender equality issues that persons with disabilities face was essential in order to provide solid factual basis for that strategy.
Core Documents
Terms of Reference
Timeline
Final Presentation
Additional Documents
UNFPA.doc
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