Category Search

We welcome the fact that Population is again a subject of debate in the Netherlands. In recent months, the media focussed regularly on population growth in Africa, mostly in relation to the flow of refugees to Europe and to regional instability. We did, however, miss attention to an issue that is at the core of population growth: the lack of reproductive Freedom of Choice, i.e. the freedom to choose when, with whom and how many children one would like to have. That is why we call out for Freedom of Choice for all!

On Thursday 19 November an agreement has been signed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Right Here Right Now Partnership, an alliance of four Dutch NGOs and three networks from the South, all working in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights. The partnership aims at better information and education and access to comprehensive youth friendly services through sustainable policy changes. A little over € 34,6 million has been made available for this 5-year programme, that will be executed in eleven countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

There’s a featherlight product that can have a heavyweight impact on the position and health of women worldwide: the female condom. Plenty of reason to put this commodity on the center stage on 8 March, International Women’s Day.

As spring is setting in, we know it is time again to meet for the annual Commission on Population and Development (CPD). Between 11 and 15 April 2016, United Nations member states will come together in New York to discuss to what extent they are able to respect, protect and fulfil human rights. This includes sexual and reproductive rights and the rights of people who may need our particular attention today such as women, girls, youth and migrants.

April 15th, at the United Nations Commission on Population and Development (CPD), governments from across the world renewed their commitment to realising the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action to improve the lives of women and girls.

On May 19th Rutgers will give a special lesson on sexuality education to a committee from the Dutch Parliament, which has caused quite a stir. Rutgers will be accompanied by sexologist and television personality Goedele Liekens and a group of students. During the lesson Rutgers will promote the idea that empowerment should become an integral part of the primary goals i in education regarding sexuality and relationships. Rutgers hopes that the Netherlands will continue to encourage other countries to address this issue as well.

A lot has been achieved for the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of young people, but there are still mountains to be moved. On 17 May, the Dutch SRHR Alliance and youth leaders from all over the world presented the results of two large-scale youth programmes and called for action. As Ayantu Terefe from Ethiopia put it: “More dreams need to come true.”

We have launched a campaign #HappyBirthControl asking public to show support for contraceptive access worldwide.

This statement has been jointly prepared by 81 sex worker rights, women’s rights, and human rights organizations (list still in formation). We are writing this statement in response to UN Women’s call for submissions in an e-consultation about the development of a UN Women policy on sex work. A number of sex workers’, women’s and human rights organizations have been engaging with UN Women for some months about this proposed policy, stressing the importance of a process that meaningfully engages with a broad range of sex workers’ and women’s rights organizations as essential to the process of developing a policy. Rutgers is one of the organisations which endorses this statement.

Ton Coenen was elected chair of EuroNGOs at the Annual General Meeting, October 2016

The MenCare+ programme aimed to engage men as equitable partners in maternal, newborn and child health, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), caregiving, and violence prevention in Brazil, Indonesia, Rwanda and South Africa. This brochure contains a full detailed description of MenCare+ such as the programme objectives and used approach, programme components and interventions, and the Theory of Change.

This MenCare+ brochure focuses on the importance of gender-transformative approaches in relation to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and well-being of women and girls, men and boys. This brochure ends with clear policy recommendations.

The MenCare+ programme aimed to engage men as equitable partners in maternal, newborn and child health, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), caregiving, and violence prevention in Brazil, Indonesia, Rwanda and South Africa. This sheet gives an overview of the key findings of the MenCare+ programme across all four countries.

This brochure gives a detailed description of the benefits and added value of implementing multiple interventions to engage men and boys in gender equality, violence prevention and in SRHR and MNCH within a single, comprehensive program.

It is not easy to break away from gender norms, but it is not impossible. Listen to the reflections of the couple Sulaeman and Indah Lestari, as they look back on their journey in co-creating a household that is based on partnership and mutual respect.

UNITED NATIONS, New York, 17 October 2018--The global trend towards smaller families is a reflection of people making reproductive choices to have as few or as many children as they want, when they want. When people lack choice, it can have a long-term impact on fertility rates, often making them higher or lower than what most people desire, according to The State of World Population 2018, published today by UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency.

This November, the Nairobi Summit took place in Kenya. Young advocate, Ligia DeStephen from Honduras attended, as part of our Right Here Right Now (RHRN) programme. Ligia looks back at an inspirational experience in Nairobi, and will continue to hold her government to account for the commitments it made during the Summit.