The Impact of COVID-19 on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

A world without fear, stigma, or discrimination is a prerequisite for gender equality, as is girls’ and women’s ability to live according to their sexual health and rights. In order to realize these rights, governments and civil society partners need to adopt comprehensive approaches to protect and uphold them while empowering individuals to claim their rights, including: strong legal and policy frameworks; access to information and comprehensive sexuality education; protecting the rights of marginalized groups; ensuring accountability; and involving men and boys in national efforts to respect, protect, and fulfill sexual rights.

Healthy girls and women are the cornerstone of healthy societies. This brief discusses some of the approaches that can help communities improve the access that girls and women have to a comprehensive range of services for their enjoyment of physical and mental health and rights. Importantly, girls and women should be involved in the design, implementation, evaluation, and accountability of policies, programs, and services.

Providing quality healthcare and nutritional support for all women and babies is vital for a healthy generation. The interventions discussed in this policy brief not only address the leading causes of maternal and newborn death and disabilities, but they also explore solutions and overall health and wellbeing, encompassing good nutrition and the prevention and treatment of maternal injuries.

Girls and women’s ability to control their own fertility, and to decide if and when to have children and how many children to have, is a bedrock of women’s empowerment, gender equality, and progress for all. Critical to progress is taking action across sectors and at all levels. This policy brief looks at the good examples that show what is needed to secure proper and voluntary contraception and reproductive health services for all girls and women.

Infographic on the importance and benefits of investing in family planning and reproductive health.

Infographic on the importance and benefits of investing in adolescents and young people.

Infographic on how to ensure access to comprehensive health services for girls and women.

Infographic on respecting, protecting, and fulfilling the sexual health and rights of girls and women.

Infographic on meeting the demand for contraception and reproductive health.

Infographic on improving maternal and newborn health and nutrition.