Men involvement in sexual and reproductive health

Control of STD
Two-pronged approach
Primary prevention of STDs requires changes in personal behaviors, supported by
changes in community norms. For the general population, interventions should: •
increase knowledge of the symptoms, signs, and consequences of STDs, •
encourage delay in initiation of sex among adolescents, • promote use of condoms
and other barrier methods among those who are sexually active in relationships that
are not mutually monogamous, and • identify sources of quality care for suspected
infections

Treatment of sex partners and risk reduction counseling for infected individuals and
their partners are essential to the success of STD clinical prevention services.
Treatment protocols at all levels must be developed and periodically revised in light
of local disease and antibiotic resistance patterns. Sentinel surveillance or special
studies of etiologies of STD syndromes and antibiotic resistance patterns are
needed to guide these decisions. STD screening, regardless of symptom status, and
treatment as appropriate should be provided for sex workers

The goal of promotive and preventive healthcare is to protect and promote public
health, prevent disease or lower the chance of its development.

Research
Training
Education
Scope of the function
Disease prevention
 Primary prevention services and activities include:
Vaccination and post-exposure prophylaxis of children, adults and the elderly;
Provision of information on behavioural and medical health risks, and measures to
reduce risks at the individual and population levels;
Inclusion of disease prevention programmes at primary and specialized health care
levels, such as access to preventive services (ex. counselling); and
Nutritional and food supplementation; and
Dental hygiene education and oral health services.
 Secondary prevention includes activities such as:
Population-based screening programmes for early detection of diseases;
Provision of maternal and child health programmes, including screening and
prevention of congenital malformations; and
Provision of chemo-prophylactic agents to control risk factors (e.g., hypertension)
Health promotion
 Policies and interventions to address tobacco, alcohol, physical activity and
diet (e.g., FCTC , DPAS , alcohol strategy and NCD best-buys)
 Dietary and nutritional intervention should also appropriately tackle
malnutrition, defined as a condition that arises from eating a diet in which
certain nutrients are lacking, in excess (too high in intake), or in the wrong
proportions
 Intersectoral policies and health services interventions to address mental
health and substance abuse
 Strategies to promote sexual and reproductive health, including through
health education and increased access to sexual and reproductive health, and
family planning services
 Strategies to tackle domestic violence, including public awareness
campaigns; treatment and protection of victims; and linkage with law
enforcement and social services.
Support mechanisms for health promotion and disease prevention
 Multisectoral partnerships for health promotion and disease prevention
 Educational and social communication activities aimed at promoting healthy
conditions, lifestyles, behavior and environments (see EPHO VII)
 Reorientation of health services to develop care models that encourage
disease prevention and health promotion
 Risk communication.

What does SRHR stand for? a) Comprehensive education about social relationships
and health b) Secure retirement and housing resources c) Sexual and Reproductive
Health and Rights d) Scientific research for healthcare advancements

These are a set of 17 global goals aimedat ending poverty, protecting the planet,
and promoting prosperity for all. The SDGs include targets related to SRHR as well
as Indicators. • SDG 1 aims to end poverty in all its forms and dimensions, and it
includes targets such as eradicating extreme poverty, reducing the proportion of
people living below the poverty line, implementing social protection systems, and
ensuring equal rights to economic resources and access to basic services. • SDG 3:
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, including targets to
reduce maternal mortality and ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive
health services. • SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and
promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, including targets to promote
comprehensive sexuality education and eliminate gender disparities in education. •
SDG 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls, including targets
to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, end child marriage, and
ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. • SDG 10:
Reduce inequality within and among countries, including targets to ensure equal
opportunities for all, regardless of gender, and eliminate discriminatory laws and
practices. • SDG 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable
development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and
inclusive institutions at all levels, including targets to eliminate all forms of violence
against women and girls and strengthen institutions to prevent and respond to
gender-based violence.

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

The Philippines has many laws proclaiming gender equality and women’s rights,
beginning with the 1987 Constitution. According to Article II Section 14, “the State
recognizes the role of women in nation building and shall ensure the fundamental
equality before the law of women and men.” Article XIII Section 14 says “the State
shall protect working women by providing safe and healthful working conditions,
taking into account their maternal functions, and such facilities and opportunities
that will enhance their welfare and enable them to realize their full potential in the
service of the nation.” This gender equality and equal protection framework is
further enunciated in succeeding laws, such as:
□ Republic Act (RA) 7192 of 1992 or the Women in Development and Nation
Building Act which promotes the integration of women as full and equal partners of
men in development and nation building;
□ RA 9710 of 2009 or the Magna Carta of Women—the most comprehensive law on
women’s equality to date—codifies the Women’s Convention and the Beijing
Platform for Action. Section 2 asserts that “the State realizes the equality of men
and women entails the abolition of the unequal structures and practices that perpe-
tuate discrimination and inequality.”
□ RA 10361 of 2013 and RA 11861 of 2022 provide benefits and protection for
marginalized women, specifically domestic or household workers (kasambahay) and
solo parents, respectively. The Domestic Workers Act provides for, among others,
adequate meals, safe sleeping arrangements, privacy, communication, and
protection against employer abuse and debt bondage. The Expanded Solo Parents
Welfare Act provides parental leave, flexible hours, child-minding assistance, pen-
sion and other social support and protection against discrimination in employment.
□ RA 7877 of 1995 or the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act defined sexual harassment
as the demand, request, or requirement for sexual favor by anyone with “authority,
influence or moral ascendancy over another in a work or training or education
environment, regardless of whether … [the sexual favor] is accepted.”
□ RA 8353 of 1997 or the Anti Rape Law redefined rape as a crime against persons
instead of a crime against chastity in the Revised Penal Code. It defines different
acts of rape and imposes the most severe penalty—reclusion perpetua or imprison-
ment for at least 30 years (Supreme Court Circular 1993).
□ RA 9262 of 2004 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act
describes a broad range of criminalized acts under the general categories of
physical, emotional, sexual, and financial violence, including abuse of and violence
on children. It also includes protection orders that victim-survivors can access from
the courts and barangay (village) officials.
However, there are also laws that restrict or violate women’s well-being, dignity,
and rights, with the abortion provisions in the Revised Penal Code of 1930 and the
1987 Philippine Constitution serving as stark examples.

The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law of 2012

The RPRH Law serves as the overall legal framework for SRHR and embodies the
country’s commitments under the ICPD Programme of Action. The law provides for
gender equality, equity, women’s empowerment, and human rights, including
SRHR, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged sectors. A good
example is this provision:
…the State recognizes and guarantees the promotion of gender equality, gender
equity, women empowerment and dignity as a health and human rights concern
and as a social responsibility. The advancement and protection of women’s human
rights shall be central to the efforts of the State to address reproductive health care.
Among the key provisions of the law are the establishment of an integrated program
with 12 “elements of reproductive health;” improvement of health facilities and
personnel to provide “emergency obstetric and newborn care;” ensuring access to a
“full range of modern family planning methods;” the integration of “age-and-
development-appropriate Reproductive Health Education” in all grades in all
schools; the development by the Philippine health insurance corporation
(PhilHealth) of benefits for serious and life-threatening RH conditions; and
mobilization of the national budget through the annual general appropriations (RA
10354 2012).
The Law’s Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) laid out the integrated
package of RH services that should be provided in Service Delivery Networks from
barangay (village) health stations, primary care centers, district and provincial
hospitals, up to national level hospitals. The 12 RH services include maternal care
(with basic and comprehensive emergency obstetric care); FP; post-abortion care;
adolescent counseling; and care for victim-survivors of gender-based violence. The
implementation of these mandates should have been done within 60 to 90 days of
the IRR’s signing (RA 10354 IRR 2013).
Policies on Development and Health Relevant to SRHR
NEDA’s Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022 identified two thrusts: one
aligned with achieving health through the promotion of a long and healthy life, and
with maternal and reproductive health as strategic interventions. The other thrust
aligned with achieving the “demographic dividend.”
The DOH’s National Objectives of Health (NOH) 2017-2022 supported the
attainment of the PDP’s “inequality-reducing transformation” by helping realize its
health-related objectives in human capital development, reducing vulnerability of
individuals and families, building safe and secure communities, reaching the demo-
graphic dividend, and ensuring ecological integrity and clean and healthy
environment (NOH 2018).
Universal Health Care Law
Republic Act 11223 or the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law of 2019 aims to achieve
UHC by ensuring that all Filipinos are guaranteed equitable access to quality and
affordable health care goods and services, and are protected against financial risk.
It mandates structural and functional changes in health financing, service delivery,
and governance to address perennial problems such as the fragmentation of health
services, substantial out-of-pocket expenditures, maldistribution of health human
resources, weak governance, and others.
The law delineates the roles of the DOH, PhilHealth, and the local health system
currently governed by more than 1,700 autonomous chief executives of provinces,
cities, and municipalities. Under the law, the DOH refocuses on regulation, policy
development, standard setting, and “population-based health services” while
PhilHealth becomes a national purchaser of “individual-based health services.”
Local health units become integrated into province- or city-wide health systems or
service delivery networks.
Under the UHC Law, all Filipinos are declared automatically included in PhilHealth
and entitled to services, including outpatient services, subject to various conditions
and regulations. The law also strengthens health promotion and primary health
care.
There is no explicit gender consideration and no mention of SRH in the law.
Mandanas Ruling
The Mandanas Ruling refers to a 2018 Supreme Court decision effectively increasing
the share of local governments units (LGUs) in national taxes. The decision is
operationalized by Executive Order No. 138 – Full Devolution of Certain Functions of
the Executive Branch to LGUs. The Court ruled to expand the tax base from which
the LGU share is calculated, thereby enhancing fiscal decentralization. The LGUs’
bigger share theoretically strengthens their capacity to assume functions devolved
by the 1991 Local Government Code.
The ruling was initially opposed by the Department of Budget and Management,
citing the “diminution of fiscal resources available to the national government for its
key priorities and commitments” (DBM 2021). To mitigate this fiscal impact, national
government agencies such as the CPD and the DOH have created Devolution Transi-
tion Plans to transfer their functions to local governments (CPD March 2022; DOH-
NNC DTP 2022).
Despite the devolution of health services to LGUs in 1991, their contribution to total
health expenditures has remained low, ranging from 7% to 10% from 2014 to 2021,
and 9.3% for the latest available year (PSA 2021; PSA 2022).
Maternal Health Laws
Republic Act 11210 of 2019—the 105-Day Expanded Maternity Leave Law—
extended paid maternity leave to 105 days with an option for another 30 days of
unpaid leave. The leave is granted to female workers in government and private
sectors, including those in the informal sector who are members of the Social
Security System, regardless of civil status or the legitimacy of her child. If the
worker qualifies as a “solo parent” under RA 8972 or the Solo Parents’ Welfare Act,
she will have an additional 15 days maternity leave with full pay. The leave applies
in every instance of pregnancy, miscarriage, or emergency termination of
pregnancy, regardless of frequency. For miscarriages or emergency terminations,
the leave is reduced to 60 days.
Republic Act 11148 of 2018—the Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay
Act—provides comprehensive care for the health and nutrition of newborns, infants
and young children, and pregnant and lactating women during the infant’s first
1,000 days. It addresses hunger, malnutrition, and poverty among mothers and
babies.
Executive Order on Zero Unmet Need for Modern FP
Executive Order (EO) No. 12 on Attaining and Sustaining ‘Zero Unmet Need for
Modern Family Planning (FP)’ was issued in January 2017 by President Rodrigo
Duterte. The EO aims to intensify and accelerate the implementation of critical
actions necessary to attain zero unmet need for all poor households by 2018, and
for all Filipinos within the context of the RPRH law.
The EO tasked the DOH, CPD, Department of Interior and Local Government, and
national agencies to collaborate with LGUs for the implementation of these stra-
tegies. The DOH was also directed to review the gaps in the implementation of the
RPRH law and to support LGUs and CSOs.
Laws Protecting Children Against Rape and Child Marriage
RA 11648 of 2022—the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse,
Exploitation and Discrimination Act—amends the 1997 Anti-Rape Law by
redefining the crime of statutory rape and raising the age of sexual consent from 12
to 16. Statutory rape is redefined as “carnal knowledge of another person” under 16
years old, except when the age difference is not more than three years and if the
sexual act is “proven to be consensual, non-abusive, and non-exploitative.” The law
also expands the definitions and penalties for other types of sexual abuse of minors,
such as prostitution and trafficking.
There is no explicit provision allowing consenting minors to access contraceptives
without their parent’s written consent.
RA 11596 of 2021—Prohibiting the Practice of Child Marriage and Imposing
Penalties for Violations— expands the definition of child marriage and
criminalized acts. It penalizes any “informal union or cohabitation outside of
wedlock between an adult and a child” with no exception for close-in-age couples.
Such cohabitation is punishable by a prison term of 10-12 years and a fine of not
less than fifty thousand pesos.
The law is not consistent with the amended anti-rape law which does not criminalize
consensual sex where the age gap is not more than three years.
National Policies on Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention
Executive Order 141 of 2021 declares teen pregnancy as a “national priority”
and mobilizes the coordinative and legal mechanisms of government to address its
“root causes.” The EO aims to “strengthen adolescents’ capacity to make
autonomous decisions about their reproductive and sexual health by ensuring their
access to comprehensive sexuality education and reproductive health and rights
services.” Pregnancy prevention strategies include sexuality education, education
and employment opportunities, and health promotion, including through digital
media. The Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Council) is the lead agency for
implementation.
The policy does not explicitly mention access to condoms or contraception.
The General Appropriation Act of 2021 and 2022 mandates the Department of
Social Welfare and Development and the CPD to develop and institutionalize a social
protection program for adolescent mothers and their children. The program would
protect young women from the risks and vulnerabilities of adolescent pregnancies,
interruption of education, social exclusion, and others.
Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE)
The Department of Education’s 2018 Policy Guidelines on the Implementation of
CSE aims to promote a common understanding of CSE key concepts and messages
and ensure clear protocol implementation. The order covers all public and private
primary and secondary schools; learning centers for Special Education and Alter-
native Learning Systems; state and local universities and colleges; and the
Indigenous Learning Systems and Madrasah Education Program (DepEd 2018).
Following the UNESCO CSE Guidelines, the standards include the core topics of
human body and human development; personhood and values; healthy
relationships; sexuality and sexual behaviors; sexual and reproductive health;
personal safety; and gender, culture and media. It also identifies important attitudes
and skills, such as positive attitude to sexuality, accessing authoritative information,
and responsible decision-making.
CSE will be integrated into the 2023 Department of Education’s curriculum reforms,
called the MATATAG Curriculum, which aims to decongest the current K to 12 Curri-
culum by reducing the number of competencies and focusing more on the
development of foundational skills (Bacelonia 2023).
Omnibus Health Guidelines for Adolescents
DOH’s AO 2022-0018 or the Development and Utilization of the Omnibus Health
Guidelines (OHG) per Lifestage are guidelines on an integrated and comprehensive
set of quality and cost-effective services covering the spectrum of care from
promotion to palliative care. The AO is part of DOH’s compliance with the UHC Law
and serves to integrate the key policies of various health programs and standards of
care based on the best available evidence. Five sets of OHGs were developed—four
for each of the life stages: child, adolescent, adults, and elderly—and one for
managers of various health settings (DOH OHG 2022).
The OHG for adolescents includes the following important guidelines:
□ Healthy lifestyle practices including responsible sexual behavior such as
abstinence; contraceptive use, especially for sexually active adolescents and
adolescent parents, with guidance from a healthcare provider; asserting consent
and bodily autonomy and setting physical and mental boundaries; safer sex that
includes the use of condoms and water-based lubricants during sexual intercourse,
avoiding having multiple sexual partners, and avoiding other activities considered to
be unhealthy sexual behavior
□ Community campaigns, including activities with RH themes to reinforce CSE in
schools, such as on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression
□ Immunizations, including with the HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccine
□ Self-monitoring and testing, such as the use HIV self-testing kits approved by the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
□ Comprehensive maternal health care services throughout the pregnancy, delivery
and post-partum periods at the primary health care level
□ SRH services that include: FP and access to a full range of FP methods;
prevention, identification and management of reproductive tract infections, HIV and
AIDS and other STIs; management of gynecologic conditions and disorders; addres-
sing gender-based violence; and laboratory examinations, such as hemoglobin
determination, as needed.
New HIV Law
RA 11166—the Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act of 2018—expands access to
evidence-based HIV prevention strategies, including condoms and other
commodities. The law facilitates easier access to learning about one’s HIV status,
especially for minors aged 15 to 17 who can now undergo an HIV test without
parental or guardian consent. The law also makes HIV testing a routine procedure
during prenatal care which will prevent transmission from mother to child during
pregnancy, labor, and breastfeeding.
Post-Abortion Care
In 2016, DOH issued Administrative Order 2016-0041 or the National Policy on the
Prevention and Management of Abortion Complications (PMAC). It reiterated the
PMAC AO of 2000, underscored the harm of unsafe abortion and ordered DOH
regional hospitals to provide a package of services, including the management of
complications, counseling, FP, and linking PMAC services to other RH services (DOH
2016).
It expanded provision of quality post-abortion care beyond the DOH hospitals to “all
health facilities both public and private;” and PMAC health providers to include not
just doctors but also nurses and midwives. Additionally, the AO included a penalty
clause so that “criminal, civil, and administrative complaints for violation of the
PMAC AO” could be filed through several agencies, not just the DOH and LGUs.
The AO, however, was met by a huge outcry from midwives’ and nurses’ groups
who complained that the AO will cause them to violate their professions’ laws,
specifically their scope of practice regulations. The DOH moved to replace the policy
with AO 2018-003 titled Prevention of Illegal and Unsafe Abortion and Management
of Post-Abortion Complications (DOH 2018).
The 2018 AO reiterates the illegality of abortion, underscores the need for
contraception, and relegates post-abortion care to comprehensive emergency obs-
tetric care facilities or referral hospitals.
It is not consistent with two provisions in the RPRH Law’s implementing rules: 1)
Section 5.04f which mandates the provision of “non-judgmental approach to
recognizing, treating and referring post-abortion cases” including in “primary health
care” facilities, such as “birthing homes, lying-in clinics, and infirmaries ... [which]
provide basic emergency obstetric and neonatal care, and reproductive health care
services”; and 2) Section 5.05d which mandates “non-judgmental approach to
recognition and management of post-abortion complications” in both basic and
comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care facilities.
Violence Against Women and Gender-Based Violence
RA 11313—the Safe Spaces Act of 2019—expanded the Sexual Harassment Law
of 1995 and defines gender-based sexual harassment as conduct that causes or is
likely to cause mental, emotional or psychological distress to a person on the basis
of gender, gender identity and/or expression. It penalizes homophobic, transphobic,
misogynistic, and sexist remarks committed in the streets and public spaces, online,
workplaces, and educational and training institutions (UPDGO 2021).
RA 10175—the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012—criminalizes various
cyberbullying offenses, including cyberstalking, cybersex, identity theft, and online
libel. Cyberstalking involves using the internet or other electronic communication
devices to follow or harass someone, causing fear or distress. Cybersex refers to the
use of electronic communication to solicit or participate in sexual activity. Penalties
include imprisonment and fines.
RA 11930 of 2022—the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of
Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act—amends
the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009 and ensures the protection of every child
against all forms of sexual abuse and exploitation, particularly those committed
through the use of information and communications technology.
RH Law Implementation Mechanisms
National Implementation Team (NIT) for the RH Law. The NIT was formed by
the DOH through AO 2015-0002 in January 2015, after the constitutionality of the
RPRH Law was settled. The NIT was tasked to lead and coordinate the actions of
government agencies and civil society organizations working to implement the law,
set up a monitoring system of impact and outputs, submit annual reports to
Congress, liaise with the Congressional Oversight Committee, and submit
recommendations to the Secretary of Health to improve RH implementation.
At the national level, it was composed of the office of the DOH Secretary and the
DOH’s attached agencies, representatives of CPD, NEDA, Department of Education,
Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Interior and Local
Government, other national government agencies, and CSOs. It was also tasked to
organize and supervise the Regional Implementation Team, the parallel coordinating
body in the regions (DOH 2015).
The NIT’s annual report to Congress and the President covers five key results areas:
maternal, newborn and child health; family planning; adolescent SRH; STIs and
HIV/AIDS; and violence against women and children. It also reports on five key
interventions: demand generation, health service delivery, governance; capacity-
building; and financing. Since 2015, the NIT has issued annual reports on
implementation progress, identifying achievements and challenges.
The strong presence and active voice of CSOs in the early years of the NIT
influenced the body to address political obstacles to the law’s implementation, and
to enable access to services, especially by the poor. These actions included
countering the contraception ban by the mayor of Sorsogon City in 2015-2016;
mobilizing citizen and technical support to lift the Supreme Court restraining order
on the FDA’s approval of hormonal contraceptives between 2015 to 2017;
developing mechanisms to enable DOH and POPCOM to fund CSOs that were
providing FP services; developing the PhilHealth benefit package for primary care
“stand alone FP clinics”; assisting the Department of Education in the development
of the CSE policy in 2018 and the “teen (health) hubs” in schools; and discussing
different and sometimes conflicting positions on SRHR.
The 2018-2022 NIT Annual Report listed SRHR budgets from four sources: the DOH,
PhilHealth, CPD, and some CSOs. For this period, the budget allocations from the
DOH, PhilHealth, and CPD declined; while the combined budgets of CSOs increased
(see Table 18).
In 2021, an assessment of the NIT’s governance of the RH Law implementation
described it as “siloed, programmatic, and FP-centric,” “casting prescriptive
centrally-designed policies to LGUs with individual needs and contexts.” It identified
other problems, such as absence of dedicated RPRH units in national government
agencies, weak accountability between central offices and LGUs and among
national government agencies (NGAs), and a fragmented and short-term monitoring
and evaluation framework that relied on self-regulation instead of strong formal
accountability to Congress or the Office of the President (Ulep et al. 2021).
A parallel assessment of implementation by LGUs cited “important improvements
and innovations on various aspects of local delivery of RPRH services” including on
financing, human resource, and governance.” However, it also noted that there
appeared to be material differences in the provision of the mandated services,
unsupportive and sometimes anti-RH local chief executives, inadequate human
resources, heavier workload due to additional mandates; frequent stock-outs and
also oversupplies, and policy incoherence and conflicting mandates between LGUs
and between NGAs and LGUs (Abrigo, Cruz, and Tam 2021).
The Elements of the RH Law

What are the elements of the recently enacted RH Law? They are:
(1) Family planning information and services;
(2) Maternal, infant and child health and nutrition, including breast feeding;
(3) Prevention of abortion and management of post-abortion complications;
(4) Adolescent and youth reproductive health guidance and counseling;
(5) Prevention and management of reproductive tract infections (RTIs), HIV/AIDS and
sexually transmittable infections (STIs);
(6) Elimination of violence against women and children and other forms of sexual
and gender-based violence;
(7) Education and counselling on sexuality and reproductive health;
(8) Treatment of breast and reproductive tract cancers and other gynecologic
conditions and disorders;
(9) Male responsibility and involvement and men’s RH;
(10) Prevention, treatment and management of infertility and sexual dysfunction;
(11) RH education for the adolescents; and
(12) Mental health aspect of reproductive health care.
Corresponding Author

Hon. Esperanza I. Cabral, MD 2013

The law provides for the following among other things:

Midwives for skilled birth attendance : The law mandates every city and
municipality to employ an adequate number of midwives and other skilled
attendants. Currently, only 57% of Filipino women 3 give birth with the assistance of
a trained medical professional.
Emergency obstetric care: Each province and city shall ensure the establishment
and operation of hospitals with adequate facilities and qualified personnel that
provide emergency obstetric care.
Hospital-based family planning: The law requires family planning services like
ligation, vasectomy and intrauterine device (IUD) placement to be available in all
government hospitals.
Contraceptives as essential medicines: Reproductive health products shall be
considered essential medicines and supplies and shall form part of the National
Drug Formulary. Their inclusion in the National Drug Formulary will enable
government to purchase contraceptives and not merely rely on unpredictable
donations.
Reproductive health education: RH education shall be taught by adequately trained
teachers in an age-appropriate manner.
Employers’ responsibilities: Employers shall respect the reproductive health rights
of all their workers. Women shall not be discriminated against in the matter of
hiring, regularization of employment status or selection for retrenchment.
Employers shall provide free reproductive health services and education to workers.
Capability building of community-based volunteer workers: Community-based
workers shall undergo additional and updated training on the delivery of
reproductive health care services and shall receive not less than 10% increase in
honoraria upon successful completion of training.
[Link]

mapping of progress

To ensure the effective promotion of sexual and reproductive health rights,

Médecins du Monde France creates and implements projects by adopting an
intersectional gender approach. (Moulard, n.a)
This approach aims to:
 Analyse stereotypes, discrimination and gender inequality that have an
impact on access to sexual and reproductive rights, and that are at the origin
of different forms of gender-based violence.
 Integrate in a cross-cutting way comprehensive education actions on
sexuality to promote access to appropriate information for all ages regarding
issues of sexuality, access to family planning and prevention, and the early
detection of potential cases of gender-based violence.
 Integrate in a cross-cutting way actions to promote empowerment and the
joint responsibility of people in terms of sexual and reproductive health, and
even to prevent and identify different forms of gender-based violence.