The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) court rules against Sierra Leone on FGM: A landmark victory for human rights
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MenEngage Africa and Sonke Gender Justice celebrate the groundbreaking ruling by the ECOWAS Court of Justice, issued July 8, 2025, which found Sierra Leone responsible for human rights violations related to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). This crucial decision marks a significant stride towards eliminating FGM across West Africa. The Court’s ruling underlines […]
SRHR – The facts that demand action
SRHR is for every BODY: The facts that demand action #ActForSRHR | #SRHR4All | #VoicesForSRHR Across Africa, too many people are still denied the right to make choices about their bodies. Whether it’s the inability to access contraception, unsafe abortions, the criminalisation of identities, or gender-based violence – the message is clear: sexual and reproductive […]
Top myths about SRHR in Africa
Top myths about SRHR in Africa — and the facts that break them #ActForSRHR | #SRHR4All | #VoicesForSRHR Fighting Myths. Protecting Rights. Acting for change. Across Africa, many wrong ideas about sex, health, and identity continue to hurt people. These myths cause shame, fear, and stop women, young people, LGBTQI+ people, and persons with disabilities […]
The role of men in advancing SRHR across Africa
The role of men in advancing SRHR across Africa – Act. Challenge. Protect — Together. Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) affects everyone. But too often, SRHR is only seen as something for women. That’s not right. Men also need SRHR services – from accurate information to respectful healthcare. Whether it’s HIV prevention, mental […]
SRHR in Uganda
SRHR in Uganda The fight for bodily autonomy, equality, and dignity In Uganda, many people still don’t have the freedom to make choices about their own bodies. Strict abortion laws, high teenage pregnancy rates, and violence against LGBTQI+ people make access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) unfair and unequal. “According to the […]
SRHR in Ethiopia
SRHR in Ethiopia A call for dignity, access, and equity In Ethiopia, while progress has been made in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), significant gaps persist. Many individuals—especially rural youth, unmarried women, persons with disabilities, face barriers to accessing essential services and making informed decisions about their bodies. “Over the past 20 years, […]
SRHR in Malawi
SRHR in Malawi Breaking silence, stigma, and systemic barriers In Malawi, many people – especially young women, girls, and persons living with disabilities – face challenges in accessing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Issues like unsafe abortions, early pregnancies, and restrictive laws put lives at risk. While community advocacy and youth-led activism are […]
SRHR in South Africa
SRHR in South Africa Rights on paper, challenges in practice South Africa has strong laws protecting sexual and reproductive health and rights. But for many people, especially women, young people, LGBTQI+ individuals, and persons with disabilities, SRHR services remain inaccessible, and these rights are not a reality. Challenges like sexual and gender-based violence including rape, […]
SRHR is for every BODY
SRHR is for every BODY – A campaign for health, rights, and dignity across Africa Across Africa, many people do not have the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies. Some are turned away from clinics. Others are denied birth control. Some are attacked just for trying to get care. This must stop. SRHR […]
How can we truly center African voices and lived realities in the movement for reproductive justice?
Our recent capacity-building session brought together bold perspectives and rich dialogue with partners Ahaki Institute, Straight Talk Foundation, and Sonke Gender Justice.
High-level meeting with Parliamentary Health Committee addresses future of Uganda’s HIV response.
On February 11, 2025, Straight Talk Foundation, in its role as Country Secretariat for MenEngage Uganda Network, joined the Uganda AIDS Commission, UNAIDS, and 19 other Civil Society Organisations in a high-level engagement with Uganda’s Parliamentary Committee on Health. The meeting aimed to present a policy brief titled“Policy Brief on the Executive Orders of the […]
The second MenEngage Africa Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Learning and Exchange Symposium: Taking stock, filling gaps and exploring opportunities
The MenEngage Africa Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Learning and Exchange Symposium concluded in Nairobi, Kenya, leaving a lasting impact on the continent’s efforts to promote SRHR for all. The three-day event brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including government officials, civil society organisations, researchers, and community leaders, to share knowledge, experiences, and best […]
Beyond the learning symposium: reflections on SRHR activism
I had the privilege to attend the MenEngage Africa Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Learning and Exchange symposium in Nairobi, Kenya in August this year. I deem it a privilege, as it continues to be rare for grassroots activists to afford access or curate regional convenings, particularly in an anti-queer and elitist landscape. I was […]
Sonke Gender Justice and MenEngage Africa celebrate the coming into force of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa
Sonke Gender Justice and MenEngage Africa welcome the historic coming into force of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa. This is a landmark Protocol which is significant in recognizing and safeguarding the rights of persons with disabilities across the continent and […]
#MEASRHR2024 highlights – Day 3
The MenEngage Africa Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Learning and Exchange symposium in Nairobi, Kenya proved to be a transformative experience for all who participated. Over the course of three days, attendees had an opportunity to engage with a diverse range of perspectives and experiences on SRHR. The symposium served as an important platform to […]
#MEASRHR2024 highlights – Day 2
Day 2 of the MenEngage Africa Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights Learning and Exchange Symposium opened with a plenary panel session on Building Bridges Across Borders aimed at fostering cross-regional collaboration on SRHR. The importance of adopting intersectional frameworks was highlighted, particularly in identifying points of commonality and how these are used to entrench inequality […]
MEASRHR2024 highlights – Day 1
In our work promoting Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR), it is evident that better coordination is essential. By coming together, gathering evidence, and exchanging experiences, we can strengthen our efforts, identify gaps, and co-create impactful strategies for programmatic, policy, and advocacy actions, said Jude Theddues Njikem during the opening ceremony of the 2nd instalment […]
The second MenEngage Africa SRHR Learning and Exchange Symposium will be held in Nairobi, Kenya
MenEngage Africa is hosting the 2nd annual SRHR Learning and Exchange Symposium on Progress 2024, from August 12 to August 14, 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya. The gathering is a pivotal gathering aimed at promoting the realisation of Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) and gender equality across the African continent. The symposium will bring together […]
The second MenEngage Africa SRHR Symposium is coming soon!
The second instalment of MenEngage Africa’s (MEA) Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Learning and Exchange Symposium is due to be held in Nairobi, Kenya! The symposium will foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and action towards achieving comprehensive sexuality education, safe abortion, and youth-friendly services. This symposium aligns with the objectives outlined in the MEA […]
Advancing SRHR – Sonke Gender Justice’s transformative training in Ethiopia, Uganda, and Malawi
Sonke Gender Justice has successfully concluded a series of training workshops aimed at empowering partners and strengthening their capacity in various thematic areas of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). These sessions were conducted in Ethiopia, Uganda, and Malawi for MenEngage Africa partners. The training initiative was informed by the pressing need to address […]
Gender transformative approach training for MenEngage Cameroon partners
MenEngage Cameroon now has a Gender Transformative Approach (GTA) community of practice, which seeks to monitor the mainstreaming of GTA in programs within the country network and member organizations. This is an outcome of the GTA capacity building workshop, facilitated by Sonke Gender Justice at the Reach Out Cameroon Head Office from the 26th –28th […]
MenEngage Africa (MEA) welcomes ban on child marriages in Sierra Leone
MenEngage Africa welcomes the official ban on child marriages in Sierra Leone. President Julius Maada Bio signed into law the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act on Tuesday, 2 July 2024, at a signing ceremony organized by First Lady Fatima Bio in Freetown. The First Lady Bio’s “Hands Off Our Girls” campaign has been instrumental in […]
Civil society statement on the proposed re-criminalisation of HIV in Zimbabwe
In 2022, the Government of Zimbabwe was celebrated nationally1 and internationally2 for repealing the country’s HIV-specific criminal law, Section 79 of the Criminal Code. When announcing the repeal in Parliament, Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs noted: “…the global thinking now is that that law stigmatises people living with HIV and studies […]
Q&A with Rumbidzai (Rumbie) Chidoori at CSW68
Rumbidzai Chidoori recently participated in the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) in New York, representing Sonke Gender Justice and MenEngage Africa. Rumbi takes note of her experience and valuable knowledge she gained from her attendance of the forum from the 11th to the 22nd of March. In this reflection, […]