Project Safidy hosts the 3rd National SRHR Conference
"As the SRHR conference was a SEED initiative, the Safidy team played a significant role in the organisation of the event. Every week, SEED hosted meetings with the steering committee to track the progress of the preparation and solve any challenges. SEED also supported the development of the agenda and encouraged Network members to engage with the event and contribute financially"
– Dr. Mamy Andriatsihosena, Head of Community Health.
Last month Project Safidy hosted the third national Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Conference in collaboration with the SRHR Network Initiative, an activist group of 37 member organisations with a shared vision of improving SRHR outcomes across Madagascar. The conference was held at the Le Pavé hotel in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, and brought together 190 people from influential organisations and government Ministries, such as UNICEF and the Ministry of Public Health. The two-day event aimed to strengthen the connection between SRHR stakeholders, stimulate discussion on the current state of sexual and reproductive health outcomes across Madagascar and discuss the unique role of civil society in promoting SRHR. Other topics included the Maputo Protocol, SRHR advocacy, inclusive SRHR, comprehensive sexuality education, prevention of sexual violence, HIV/AIDS, gender-based violence and reporting, complications of illegal abortion, and adolescent and youth health.
"Today’s community is not tomorrow’s community, that is why we do a continuous assessment of people's beliefs and attitudes towards sexuality and sexual exploitation"
– ECPAT France Madagascar.
The conference commenced with a speech from the Ministry of Health acknowledging SRHR as a fundamental human right and urging attendees to work together and discuss solutions to improve SRHR in Madagascar. Following this, member organisations from the SRHR Network, such as Blue Ventures, Médecins du Monde, and Marie Stopes Madagascar, discussed their current approaches to improving SRHR outcomes across the country. Approaches primarily focused on schools, youth, and education, with some organisations promoting and providing SRHR services. Parents, Malagasy traditions, cultural taboos, religious beliefs, and political parties were identified as challenges to delivering comprehensive sexuality education and family planning services across Madagascar. However, several organisations acknowledged that different types of media, such as magazines, books, radio broadcasts, and social media, are effective in promoting SRHR and gaining the support of parents. The support of parents is crucial for enabling Malagasy youth to exercise their SRHR, as youth are often asked to return with their parents when they approach a health centre for family planning advice or services.
"It is important to keep the attention of adolescents whenever they show interest in learning about family planning or SRHR. If you ask them to go and seek permission from their parents, most of them will not come back"
– Attendee at the 3rd National SRHR Conference.
Throughout the conference, many speakers noted the importance of Madagascar ratifying the Maputo Protocol to decriminalise abortion services. The Maputo Protocol serves as the primary legal framework for the rights of women and girls across Africa and has so far been adopted by fifty-two African countries. Six African countries, including Madagascar, have contradictory laws that view abortion as a serious criminal offense. Despite advocacy campaigns over the past decade encouraging the Malagasy government to loosen abortion restrictions, the Protocol has not yet been ratified, with the National Assembly arguing that abortion is inconsistent with the religious beliefs of Malagasy culture. Throughout the two-day conference, there were discussions about the advantages of ratifying the Protocol, with conference attendees acknowledging that decriminalising abortion would significantly enhance gender equality across Madagascar. However, a change of heart must occur within churches and religious groups for the Protocol to be successfully ratified. As a result, conference speakers encouraged collaboration between organisations working in SRHR to strengthen advocacy surrounding the issue. Therefore, following the conference, the SRHR Network Initiative will work together to establish a robust advocacy plan arguing that legal abortion services are fundamental for ensuring the health, well-being, and prosperity of women and girls across Madagascar, now and in the future.
“The government keeps telling us to wait for the next election or take up each topic slowly, but women are already practicing (unsafe) abortion, so we should not wait anymore”
– Ministry of Public Health.
At the end of the conference, speakers and attendees shared their appreciation and enthusiasm for the event and the wider significance of the SRHR Network. Various attendees stated that the conference was a valuable opportunity to discuss the state of SRHR across Madagascar and find solutions together. The conference had a great atmosphere, with all the audience members enthusiastic and asking insightful questions. In addition, the coffee and lunch breaks provided valuable networking opportunities to discuss the collective vision and shared goals for the future of SRHR across Madagascar. At the event's culmination, conference attendees agreed that they need proactive recommendations, detailed activities, and action steps to engage many sectors and initiate robust monitoring of SRHR activities, focusing on parents, traditional and religious leaders, and out-of-school youth. Overall, the conference was a valuable opportunity to engage and empower organisations and government representatives to advocate for SRHR and collectively work towards a shared vision of creating an enabling environment for the Malagasy population to exercise their sexual and reproductive health and rights.
“Conferences like this are so useful for collective action. We should always work together because it will be easier for us to bring about change if we combine our findings from the community”
– UNFPA.