This paper traces the trajectory of advocacy and debate on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) at a global level during the past 20 years, as a way to better understand the current situation. It identifies six main challenges for SRHR and sexual rights advocacy and outlines possible ways to move an SRHR agenda forward in the context of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and beyond.

Background

Maintaining gender and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) on the international and national agenda has always been a huge challenge, particularly given the current conditions in many parts of the world – for instance, the conservative position of some Member States, the harsh economic circumstances and decreasing priority for social issues, and shrinking space for civil society organisations.

DAWN’s recent work on SRHR has included an assessment of the MDGs in relation to SRHR in Mexico, India and Nigeria (DAWN 2012), a review of key SRHR issues in terms of what’s been achieved and what lies ahead (Sen et al 2015), and a set of regional advocacy tools across six regions for use in the ICPD+20 review process. DAWN’s work has also focused on the need to surface and interlink sexual rights issues more prominently in its south-based social equality, political democracy and economic justice analytical frame. Considering the achievements and emerging challenges in the past 20 years, this paper aims to critically review and more deeply understand the current situation on SRHR and sexual rights debate and advocacy, particularly on the global level against a backdrop of rising systematic global crises, in order to identify possible ways to move an SRHR agenda forward in the context of the implementation of the SDGs and beyond.