Work to reduce sexual and reproductive health and rights inequities
Below is a message for International Women’s Day 2020 from the Jamaica Family Planning Association
MARCH 8, 2020 is celebrated as International Women’s Day (IWD). This event was first promoted by the United Nations in 1975 during International Women’s Year. By 1977, the UN and its member states proclaimed March 8 to be the official day for women’s rights and world peace. This day is now observed all over the world.
“An equal world is an enabled world” and every one of us can do our bit to bring about gender equality. That’s the core message of #EachForEqual, the campaign at the centre of this year’s IWD observances.
The campaign says, “although complete gender equality may not be achieved for another century, by celebrating women’s achievement, raising awareness of (gender) bias and calling out inequality, we can all help to bring about change”.
This year, we at the Jamaica Family Planning Association wish to focus on the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of adolescents and young women to highlight some of the biases and gender disparities in the matter of access to contraceptive services and its implications. We join the chorus of other agencies and groups calling out these inequalities.
In Jamaica, survey data show that while sexually active girls and boys in the 15-19 years old report ever-use of contraceptives, there is stark gender disparity in the rate of use at first and subsequent sex. It is estimated that some 20 per cent of girls 15-19 years have an unmet need for contraceptive services.
The evidence is that it is easier for a male adolescent to access condoms than it is for a female adolescent who does not have a child to access a safe contraceptive method. Once she is emancipated, however, she can have access. So the young girl between age 16 (the age at which she can consent to have sexual intercourse) and 18 years (when she legally becomes an adult) must prove her fertility before she has relatively easy access to contraception.
The implications for this anomaly for the female adolescent are unsafe sexual practices, pregnancy, and the increased likelihood of becoming infected with HIV or other sexually transmitted infections and diseases.
The IWD campaign this year draws attention to the idea that gender inequality isn’t a women’s issue, but an economic one – as gender equality is essential for economies and communities to thrive. Every adolescent who becomes pregnant because of limited access to contraceptive services, and has to suspend her education because of it, could potentially negatively impact the national economy. Although policies are in place to support the continuing education of adolescents who suspend their education because of pregnancy, only 48 per cent of girls have access to this opportunity.
On IWD, we remember two pioneers – Beth Jacobs and Pamela McNeil – and their work to reduce the SRHR inequities. Our charge is to continue to advocate for equal access to accurate information and quality services for adolescent females and males. Let us play our part in effecting policy change, provider attitude shifts and simultaneously improve responsibility on the part of female adolescents to delay childbearing.
