CONCEPT NOTE

Movement Building for Intersectional Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)
Advocacy in Africa

Kenya Convening

July 18 – 22, 2022

1.0 Introduction

Akina Mama wa Afrika in line with its strategic pillar on feminist and transformational
leadership development, will conduct a national-level capacity strengthening training on
Intersectional SRHR Advocacy. The training will be conducted under the auspices of the Make
Way Programme with support from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and will target Make
Way Consortium partners, collaborating partners, and youth panel members in Kenya from July
16 to 22, 2022. The training will equip partners implementing the Kenya Make Way
Programme with the knowledge, tools, and resources to deepen their understanding of
intersectional feminist approaches to SRHR and facilitate the integration of intersectionality
into their SRHR advocacy in order to achieve the overarching programme vision for everyone
to enjoy their SRHR freely and without judgment.

2.0 About the Movement Building for Intersectional Sexual Reproductive Health and
Rights (SRHR) Advocacy Training
In line with AMwA’s mission to “build feminist leadership and collective power to deconstruct
intersectional systems of oppression to advance gender and social justice,” the training, is a
space and vehicle for feminist political education. The training is the first step of, and an
indispensable component of our feminist movement building toolkit, creating opportunities for
awakening feminist consciousness and organizing based on solidarity premised on shared
values and issues. Through the training, AMwA contributes to the growth and strengthening of
the SRHR movement in Africa by raising the political consciousness of change-makers
including young feminists, gender justice advocates, SRHR advocates, women’s rights
activists, and civil and political leaders who are provided with the tools, networks, and
resources to disrupt the status quo in their spheres of influence. We see feminist leadership
development as a continuous process of growth that requires nurturing through community
support and modeling feminist leadership principles.

Feminist leadership development contributes to the Make Way Programme’s aim of promoting
a new way of looking at and organising SRHR issues, through an intersectional lens. A critical
aspect of the programme is developing innovative tools such as the curriculum being developed
by African feminists and building the capacity of civil society organizations to advocate for
legal, policy, and societal changes.
3.0 Justification

“Among those of us who share the goals of liberation and a workable future for our children,
there can be no hierarchies of oppression”- Audre Lorde.1

Intersectionality has been defined as an analytical framework for understanding how aspects of
a person's social and political identities combine to create different modes of discrimination
and privilege which makes us aware of the interconnected nature of social categorizations such
as race, class, gender, age, sexual orientation, ability, etc., and how these overlap to create
compounded and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage as well as power
and privilege.2

AMwA believes that developing a critical mass of feminist and transformational leaders is
imperative to building a feminist sexual and reproductive health and rights movement in Africa
that works to dismantle patriarchy, homophobia, ableism, ageism, classism, and capitalism, and
other forms of oppression that hinder the full realization of the sexual and reproductive health
and rights of African women, girls and gender-expansive persons in all their diversities. The
training on movement-building for intersectional SRHR advocacy will provide civil society
actors and youth representatives with the grounding for advocacy work that is critical to
transforming systems of oppression and marginalization at all levels.

The urgency of realization of SRHR for all Kenyans cannot be overstated. The Kenyan context
analysis report indicates that the country is grappling with sub-par health indicators associated
with high levels of teenage pregnancies, maternal mortality, sexual and physical violence,
unsafe abortions, and HIV/AIDS prevalence and criminalisation of same-sex sexual activity as
well as violence and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and
expression to mention a few. The Kenya government has fallen short of its ability to guarantee
access to comprehensive SRHR information and services. Additionally, the impact of Covid19,
the homogenous approach to SRH for youth by CSOs and the government, and the limited
capacity of CSOs to mobilize human and financial resources to sustain programming efforts on
key SRHR issues. and invisibility of minoritized populations and resulting discrimination has
contributed to poor SRH outcomes and a vicious cycle of poverty and exclusion. The
aforementioned challenges coupled with retrogressive laws, poor implementation of policies,
negative socio-cultural norms, and the lack of demographic data indicate that minoritized youth
are unable to fully exercise their SRHR3.

The Make Way Programme among others exists to ensure that minoritized youth with
compounded vulnerabilities who are particularly at risk of discrimination and exclusion from
mainstream SRH services, policy, and planning are able to fully enjoy their SRHR.

The Movement Building for Intersectional Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)
training will contribute to this by equipping consortium partners, collaborating partners, and

1 (Homophobia and Education. New York: Council on Interracial Books for Children, 1983)
2 MakeWay Programme Definition of Intersectionality created by the Intersectionality Working Group.
3 Kenya Context Analysis Report
youth panel members with the voice and agency to undertake intersectional SRHR advocacy.
With partners equipped to authoritatively tackle intersectional SRHR advocacy, the training
will also contribute to building “a critical and growing mass of duty-bearers and society at
large” that actively supports intersectional SRHR, a long-term outcome of the overall Make
Way Programme.

At the end of the 5-day training, the participants will have the knowledge and skills to develop
SRHR advocacy interventions that leave no one behind because they are cognizant of the
systemic issues that structurally exclude minoritized persons.

4.0 Overall goal:

To strengthen the capacity of Make Way Consortium partners, collaborating partners, and
youth panel members to conduct intersectional SRHR lobby and advocacy in Kenya.

4.1 Objectives of the training

● To deepen the understanding of SRHR and SRHR advocacy from an intersectional
feminist perspective.
● To strengthen the capacity of the Make Way Programme Partners to effectively engage
in intersectional SRHR advocacy.
● To contribute to the gradual shift in mindset and attitude of stakeholders towards SRHR
issues of minoritized youth

5.0 Expected Outputs

● 25 participants representing Consortium Partners, collaborating partners, AMwA’s

partners and youth panels trained
● National and regional level advocacy plans integrating an intersectional feminist
approach developed.

6.0 Expected Outcomes

● Deeper understanding of feminist intersectional approaches to SRHR advocacy by

Make Way Consortium Partners, collaborating partners, and youth panels.
● Solidarity and camaraderie built between partners for an intersectional feminist sexual
and reproductive health and rights movement.
● A critical mass of civil society actors and youth representatives adopt and implement
intersectional SRHR approaches in their advocacy and accountability intervention.

Please check the logistic note for group bonding activities that will also take place during
the week. The detailed Agenda will be provided before the training and at the venue

7.0 Reading materials and discussion questions in preparation for the AWLI
Readings:
1. Feminist Theory
Chapter 4 of Tamale S., Decolonization and Afro-Feminism (Daraja Press, 2020) -
PDF attached in an email.
 The Charter of Feminist Principles for African Feminists

2. Status of SRHR in Africa and SRHR Legal and Policy Frameworks

1. International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and Programme of
Action (1994)
2. Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995)
3. Millennium Declaration and Millennium Development Goals (2000)
4. Abuja Declaration (2001)
5. Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women
in Africa (Maputo Protocol) (2003)
6. Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa (2004)
7. Continental Policy Framework on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (2006)
8. Maputo Plan of Action 2007-2015 (2006)
9. Addis Ababa Declaration on Population and Development (2008)
10. Maputo Plan of Action 5 Year Review (2010)
11. Revised Maputo Plan of Action (2016-2030)
12. AU Strategy for Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment 2018-2028 (2018)
13. Watch: video on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsnusO0T2-0

Participants should familiarise themselves with the reading materials recommended above and
reflect on the following questions:
● How detailed are Government commitments to SRHR?
● Are these commitments to achieving SRHR reflected within your domestic country’s
laws and policies? How are they operationalized?
● How effective are these commitments in holding Governments accountable at the
domestic level?
● Which SRHR priorities outlined within the different texts are still relevant in your
domestic context in 2022?
● What is the role of civil society organizations in the implementation of Government
commitments to SRHR?

Questions for discussion during the sessions:

1. In the last 5 years, how much of your country’s national budget has been allocated to
health? How much of that allocation towards SRHR services and commodities?

2. In the last demographic health survey published in your country, what are the statistics
on
● maternal mortality and morbidity
● unsafe abortion
● unmet needs for contraception
● rates of HIV/AIDS and the groups with the highest rates of new infections

3. How are sexual and reproductive health and rights provided for under the
Constitution of the country where you reside?